WATCH: King Tides Crash Into San Diego Buildings
By Rebekah Gonzalez
January 4, 2022
On Monday, January 3, some San Diego County beaches saw king tides as high as 7 feet above sea level.
The high tides are caused by a phenomenon called king tides, which occurs as a result of a stronger gravitational pull from the moon.
According to NBC7 meteorologist Sheena Parveen, when the moon, sun, and earth directly line up, the moon creates a stronger gravitational pull which causes large tides like the ones on Monday.
"Any areas right on the coast that typically see flooding with this, you may see a little bit this morning," said Parveen.
Videos captured the unusually high tides crashing onto the windows of the popular beachside restaurant the Marine Room.
According to NBC7, king tides have been known to cause flooding in places such as Imperial Beach and the La Jolla shores.
Scientists are reportedly using king tides to study the effects of sea-level rise. UC San Diego researchers say the king tides that seem high now may be typical waves for this area in the future.
The California King Tides Project managed by the California Coastal Commission is asking the community to submit photos of the king tide phenomenon for study.
You can find out more about the project here.