Hurricane Rachel to raise Malibu tides, threaten coastal flooding Sunday Play

Hurricane Rachel will cause high tides in Malibu to be at least one foot higher than the normal astronomical high tide cycle would predict.

Sunday is the big worry at the National Weather Service. Waves spun off from the Hurricane Rachel remnants are already coming ashore.

The normal high tides would be about 7 feet this weekend. But the low pressure from the hurricane, plus the winds, could increase that to 8 or 8-1/2 foot high tides Sunday morning, when high tide is forecast for just before 10 a.m.

Coastal flooding and erosion is likely Sunday, and it is possible that could combine with a lot of rain.

Right now, the ocean waves appear to be huge at Zuma Beach. The forecast is for big waves on top of a lunar high tide that will crest Thursday morning at 10:36 a.m. at 6.9 feet. Another high tide, at 6.5 feet, arrives Thursday night at 8:41 p.m.

More plus-seven-foot high tides are expected over the weekend on the lunar cycle.

Wednesday saw progressions of hurricane waves come ashore in the six foot range. From Thursday through Sunday, waves from Hurricane Rachel are arriving close together.

The National Weather Service says southerly swells arriving at 12 second intervals will pose the most risk from Malibu to Ventura through Friday.

As of now, the most reasonable outcome for L.A./Ventura and Catalina Island is flooding of sea-water over beach parking lots, as well as significant beach erosion. Isolated damage is possible.

The time window for most concern for wave damage is Sunday, especially during the morning high tide just before 10 a.m. That's according to the National Weather Service.

The city of Malibu has set up a sandbag distribution center above Zuma Beach, just off Morning View Drive.

On Zuma Beach, county bulldozers built the winter berms Wednesday. Those mounds of sand are put up every winter to protect the lifeguard headquarters, public bathrooms and other buildings on the sand. They seem to be bigger and longer than in years past.

Portions of Zuma Beach are noticeably higher and wider than in years past, particularly west of the lifeguard headquarters. In fact, parts of the beach have a naturally-built sand hill out in front of the newly-constructed berms.

But east of Zuma Creek, the beach has washed away. Construction continues on a rock revetment to protect Westward Beach Road from washing out.