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ABC warns coastal flooding threat could last through winter

Ginger Zee's explanation of unusually warm Pacific waters adds context to footage of rescues in Florida and sand barriers being rebuilt in California.

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ABC News Story of October 29, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of ABC News's most watched videos since yesterday, with 218,099 views.

King tides swamp homes with seawater in South Florida and California coasts

Crews in Long Beach are rebuilding a giant wall of sand, but ABC News correspondent Trevor Ault warns that the flooding threat may extend well beyond the next high tide. Conditions could leave the coast vulnerable through winter, he reports.

ABC's World News Tonight segment brings a weather explanation to the flooding already affecting communities on both coasts. Chief meteorologist Ginger Zee identifies the full moon as the main driver of the king tides and points to El Niño and unusually warm ocean water as contributing factors. Along the West Coast, she says, sea surface temperatures are five to ten degrees above average.

The report shows rescue teams assisting stranded drivers and residents in South Florida. In California, aerial footage follows flooded streets in Sunset Beach and Huntington Beach, while heavy machinery moves sand into defensive barriers in Long Beach.

Newport Beach residents stack sandbags outside their homes. One of them, Ryan Clark, describes the difference between familiar tidal flooding and this event: "Been through this many times, but nothing like today. This is crazy."

Ault's live report returns to the work underway on the beach, where crews are already restoring the sand wall against incoming water.

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