An 80-year holiday tradition in Long Beach has been canceled this year, as king tides are forecast for late December.
The Naples Island Holiday Boat Parade was called off by organizers out of concern for public safety.
“This is for everyone’s benefit. We take a step back, pause for one year, wait for the El Niño to go away, and focus our energies on making this place safe for everyone in years to come,” Ben Fisher, the Naples Improvement Association president, said.Naples Island Holiday Boat Parade
Port of Long Beach
The week of Christmas, tides are expected to range from 7.5 to 8.5 feet, about 6 to 18 inches above typical levels due to El Niño conditions.
Tidal flooding has already hit the Long Beach coast, damaging the seaside boardwalk and oceanfront homes in the Peninsula. Destructive high tides prompted mandatory evacuations in the area, leaving several homes red- and yellow-tagged.
Evacuation advisories were also issued for people on Naples Island. When the high tides and king tides hit Naples, water spilled over the seawalls in some spots nearly two feet deep, flooding sidewalks and threatening homes.
Long Beach’s Mayor, Rex Richardson, called the impacts unprecedented. “These continued threats have brought significant, significant damage right to our shoreline’s front door,” he said in an earlier statement.
George’s Greek Café owner Nicky Clair says the coastal flooding and threats of more to come have been terrible for the city.
“I’ve lived here for over 40 years and have never seen anything like this,” she said. “People are losing homes. People are afraid of the ‘what ifs, what’s happening?’ We don’t know what’s to come.”
She said the parade cancellation will affect her Belmont Shore restaurant, but she agrees with the decision to do so.
“It’s affecting our business because people come down from all over to watch the Christmas parade, to walk through the canals, to see the boats, to see decorations on people’s houses. We do a lot of catering during that time,” Clair said. “So, it’s affecting our business immensely, but it’s something that we have to work with, with our community and see how we can help as friends, neighbors, as a business owner.”
King tides are expected statewide Nov. 24-26 and Dec. 23-25.