Redondo Beach, WA
CATEGORY 3
WHAT Minor coastal flooding possible. Inundation of up to 1 foot above ground level near shorelines and low-lying areas.
WHEN From 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM PST.
IMPACTS Minor flooding of low-lying areas, parks, and roads. Isolated road closures possible.
Step 1: Assess Barometric Pressure At the time of high tide (1:42 PM), the mean barometric pressure is 1003.46 hPa. This is slightly lower than the pressure during the historical Category 3 event on 12/27/2023 (1006.1 hPa), suggesting moderately lower atmospheric pressure that can contribute to higher sea levels.
Step 2: Evaluate Tide Height The tide height is forecasted to be 18.922 feet, which is higher than the Category 3 event (17.460 feet) but lower than the Category 4 event (21.506 feet). This indicates a significant tide that could lead to minor coastal flooding.
Step 3: Consider Wind Direction Winds are light from the northwest at around 2 mph. While the wind direction (NW) can contribute to higher sea levels by pushing water toward the coast, the low wind speed minimizes this impact.
Step 4: Integrate NOAA High Tide Flooding Likelihood NOAA's forecast indicates a low likelihood of flooding with a 0.0% chance and a distance of -2.27 meters below the flood threshold. This suggests that, despite the higher tides and lower pressure, significant flooding is unlikely.
Step 5: Synthesize Information and Forecast Flood Category Considering the moderately low barometric pressure, higher tide levels, minimal wind impact, and NOAA's low flood likelihood, the event is classified as Category 3. This means conditions are close to a flood event and worth monitoring but are unlikely to cause flood damage.
CATEGORY 2
WHAT No risk of flooding expected.
WHEN No specific time frame.
IMPACTS No significant impacts anticipated.
Step 1: Assess Barometric Pressure The mean barometric pressure at the time of the highest tide (4:06 AM) is 1008.27 hPa. This is significantly higher than pressures associated with historical flood events, indicating stable atmospheric conditions.
Step 2: Evaluate Tide Height The tide height is forecasted to be 17.914 feet, which is lower than the previous day and well below the levels of concern indicated by historical Category 4 and 5 events.
Step 3: Consider Wind Direction Winds are light from the east-southeast at approximately 2-3 mph. This wind direction does not significantly contribute to coastal flooding in this region.
Step 4: Integrate NOAA High Tide Flooding Likelihood NOAA's forecast shows a low likelihood of flooding with a 0.0% chance and a distance of -2.37 meters below the flood threshold, suggesting minimal risk.
Step 5: Synthesize Information and Forecast Flood Category Given the high barometric pressure, moderate tide heights, minimal wind influence, and NOAA's low flood likelihood, the conditions align with a Category 2 classification, indicating no risk of flooding.
CATEGORY 2
WHAT No risk of flooding expected.
WHEN No specific time frame.
IMPACTS No significant impacts anticipated.
Step 1: Assess Barometric Pressure At the times of high tides (4:48 AM and 2:36 PM), the mean barometric pressures are 1007.61 hPa and 1007.56 hPa, respectively. These values are higher than those recorded during historical flooding events, indicating lower flood risk.
Step 2: Evaluate Tide Height Tide heights are forecasted at 18.687 feet and 18.661 feet for the two high tides, similar to Day 1 but still below critical levels observed in higher category events.
Step 3: Consider Wind Direction Winds are light from the south-southeast at around 2-4 mph. This wind direction and speed are not conducive to exacerbating flooding conditions.
Step 4: Integrate NOAA High Tide Flooding Likelihood NOAA's forecast continues to indicate a low likelihood of flooding with a 0.0% chance and a distance of -2.48 meters below the flood threshold.
Step 5: Synthesize Information and Forecast Flood Category Considering the relatively high barometric pressure, moderate tide heights, negligible wind impact, and NOAA's low flood likelihood, the situation corresponds to a Category 2 classification, reflecting no risk of flooding.
You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.