Seawater surged into low-lying communities across California this week, producing record-breaking water levels along the coast. Streets, homes, and businesses flooded from San Diego to the San Francisco Bay Area. Transportation corridors and train routes were jammed by the water.
In Marin County north of San Francisco, seawater covered typically busy thoroughfares on Monday and Tuesday. Kayakers and paddle boarders paddled through streets. Several drivers required rescue from floating cars. Cyclists attempting to cross water that had pooled in the area found themselves waist-deep.
Further south, in Newport Beach and other cities, water breached emergency infrastructure designed to block the rising sea. The water seeped through berms, seawalls, and sandbag blockades along the shoreline.