Seawater Surges Inundate Coastal Cities Amid Flood Warnings [World Report]

Swollen seawater swallowed up coastal roads.

In residential areas near the ocean, water rose up below the knees, and water even flowed inside homes.

People can also be seen paddling and riding surfboards on roads that have turned into bodies of water.

[Eric Mabry / California Resident: It is unbelievable. I have lived here for a long time, and this is the first time I have seen such severe flooding. Sometimes the water rises a little bit, but it has never reached knee-high.]

In California, Western United States, flood warnings were issued in various places as seawater rushed into coastal cities due to the impact of high tides.

In Huntington Beach, south of Los Angeles, more than 100 flooding damage reports occurred, prompting city authorities to declare a state of emergency.

[Curtis / California Resident: Water rose 45 centimeters on both sides of the house, so we had no choice but to give up. There is nothing we can do, so we just have to evacuate.]

The sea level near Long Beach in the state of California recorded about 2.4 meters, the highest level since observations began in 1923.

California Governor Newsom ordered the repair of coastal roads and the preparation of emergency measures to prevent coastal cliffs from collapsing due to high waves.

Damage continues not only in the West but also along the southeastern coast of the United States as sea levels rise.

In some parts of Miami, downtown roads turned into rivers, and seawater spilled over seawalls onto the streets.

Experts analyze that the damage grew larger as the El Nino phenomenon, in which Pacific sea surface temperatures are higher than usual, developed more strongly this year, overlapping with high tides.

Local authorities warned that if the El Nino phenomenon intensifies, seawater levels could rise even higher this winter than this time.

(Video by: Lee Hee-hoon, Video Editing by: Kim Ho-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.