The San Francisco Chronicle reported on Monday that the new year started off with the highest tides of the century, swollen even further by a confluence of meteorological conditions.
As the paper put it, “The trifecta of a super moon, an incoming storm system’s strong winds and heavy rains resulted in a high tide Saturday morning 2.5 feet higher than normal — the highest king tide since Feb. 6, 1998, according to National Weather Service … The high tides prompted a coastal flood advisory in effect through 2 p.m. Sunday for much of the Bay Area and Central Coast, with the advisory extended until 3 p.m. Monday for San Francisco and San Pablo bays.”
The super moon, dubbed the Wolf Moon, occurs when the moon is at its closest point in orbit to the Earth, lying 225,130 miles away, Fox Weather reported.
King tides and coastal flooding are threatening more low-lying areas every year, a result of climate change. Global sea levels are 8 to 9 inches higher than they were in 1880, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Floating homes residents had front row seats to this weather phenomenon. Some ramps were raised so high as to be impassable. Cars had to be moved to higher ground, and power outages kept some folks from watching the 49er game at home.
Julie Durbin of West Pier documented the perfect storm from the deck of her home, the Fairy Tale. And, just for the sake of nostalgia, Ric Miller sent along some photos of kayak races on Gate 6 Road near Issaquah Dock in January, 2005.