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‘Worst it’s ever happened’: Saturday high tide produces more record-breaking water levels

Homes and businesses in King Salmon continue to be affected by the ongoing historic high tides and the coming storm system, which saw no break Saturday, as record-breaking tides hit.

According to Troy Nicolini of the Eureka National Weather Service, “We have a really high astronomical tide today combined with pretty significant storm surge, as high as it gets, and we’ll get it somewhere in the 10.1-10.3 (foot) range at about 10:45 at its north-spit gauge across the bay from King Salmon. That’s a record-breaking high tide for today, and when we were talking to people there in King Salmon they’ve said it’s the highest they’ve ever seen, which confirms our measurements.”

“Today the wild card is we’ve got strong winds coming onshore,” Nicolini continued. “That’s leading up to that high tide. For King Salmon, we’re not entirely sure what impact that we have with the southwest wind, so the north bay of Arcata where it gets really close to Highway 255, the situation we have might push some additional water up on the road, but I can’t say with great clarity what it’s going to do for King Salmon.”

Saturday’s high tide was expected to exceed Friday’s. For context, Nicolini says the astronomical high tide was the sun and moon pulling on the water, and the storm surge tends to shove the ocean into the coast, with a wind that will push the water up that much higher as far as how it will impact King Salmon. The astronomical high tides and storm surge, says Nicolini, in themselves are factors contributing to a very high tide.

As news broke Saturday, Nicolini said the tide came in at 10.37 feet, and wanted the community to know that “the tide has turned the corner but the water is staying up because of the wind. There are a lot of flooded low-lying areas and roads, with heavy rain and wind, so just slow down. The worst thing is for you to hit deep water that you don’t see and you’re going fast. There are some really high winds and gusty rain, we’ve issued a tornado warning for Shelter Cove, which won’t impact Humboldt County, but that just gives you an idea of how severe this weather setup is.”

As the newspaper reached its print deadline Saturday, Nicolini emphasized “numbered highways, 255 entire lanes covered with water, we’re not talking about surface streets or neighborhoods,” and 101 northbound near College of the Redwoods potentially being closed.

For King Salmon, “It’s probably not a huge safety issue with slow-moving, standing water,” he said, though he did caution against the risk of rust to automobiles driving through saltwater. Also, he said with any threat of electricity to be involved, “you don’t want to be anywhere near that standing water, that’s the biggest threat.” If it gets to be a flooding situation into and around people’s homes, it could pick up a power line.”

Nicolini also cautioned against the risk of high winds and thunderstorms later Saturday. And he mentioned that people should be aware that the wake their car makes when driving through flooded water, especially at slow speeds that keep an engine from stalling, could make its way into someone’s house.

Finally, he also said when the tide is starting to fall, it will produce very high current throughout the bay, as high as the county has seen, so kayakers or any water-sports enthusiasts would do well to avoid the five-knot currents near openings in the bay.

Residents cope with flooding

On the ground in King Salmon, Mark Parton, said the flooding had affected his yard and flooded it over, saying, “It happens every year, but not this bad, this is the worst it’s ever happened. It’s only getting worse.” To prepare himself, firstly he said, “my trailer is pretty high, so it doesn’t get to it, but the streets are (flooded),” and he uses main thoroughfares like King Salmon Avenue, which as of Saturday morning was not flooded over but would shortly be closed. As to the potential for flooding worsening, he points at his neighbors’ yards, completely flooded and impassable as they never have been. Parton did say he felt secure for the most part.

“They all know, they’ve been here long enough,” said Parton of the danger. “I’ve been here seven years, it’s kind of hard to get used to something like this, but it’s happening more and more and more.”

Grange helps out

Humboldt Grange #501 in Eureka was preparing to open its doors Saturday, according to secretary Kathy Moley, “to relieve residents impacted by local flooding and storm damage. We’re doing what we can in our community as part of what the Grange does, we’re community-based. I’ll get out of here, get the coffee on and some donuts, we’ll have those free and if people show up we’ll make lunch.”

Moley said it was about getting people “in out of the cold, drying things if they need to, or parking at a dry location.” 5845 Humboldt Hill Road is the Grange’s address, at the corner of Humboldt Hill and Eich roads. She said the group would “take it as it goes, and if we need to be open (Sunday), we will.”

Humboldt Hill, King Salmon, and Fields Landing is the local community that they serve, “but anybody impacted by the storms is welcome, if they just want to come and be around other people,” said Moley. “We get into the New Year, it’s cold and dark and stormy, and our doors are open, we’re doing what we can to give people hot coffee and tea and camaraderie.”

Moley welcomed contacts from people seeking more information by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling 707-498-0801.

Highest-ever recorded tide in Humboldt Bay results in widespread flooding in King Salmon

Record tides that flooded King Salmon on Thursday continued to swell on Friday morning, inundating local businesses, yards and even homes — many of which had never been flooded before. Friday morning’s tide provisionally broke the National Weather Service’s all-time record for the region, and storms and southerly wind may result in an even higher tide on Saturday.

Longtime residents, including Greg Stephens, who has operated a shop for his property management business on King Salmon Ave. for more than a decade, said that they had never seen flooding as severe as Friday morning’s.

“A friend of mine had the shop for 18 years before this, and I’ve been here 11 years, and this is the first time it’s ever crested (and risen over the boundaries of the canal into the shop),” Stephens said. “Yesterday it got sort of close. It got to the stoop yesterday with maybe two inches to spare … it just came in a little bit today, … but we still have to work.”

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When Rivers Rise: Lessons from Hurricane Helene

When Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina in 2023, it caught everyone off guard with its ferocity. Record-breaking rainfall and sudden, deadly flooding overwhelmed communities across the region.

As I stood on the banks of the Swannanoa River in Biltmore Village, I watched everything I had spent two decades fighting for wash away. Gas pooled in the eddies. Homes and businesses floated past; dreams, memories, and hard work were reduced to debris. I watched the river I had devoted my life to protecting turn brown with ruin.

In that moment, I realized how much our preparedness, infrastructure, and collective response shape whether a disaster becomes a tragedy or a turning point.

Personal Loss, Community Response

As a homeowner, I understood the heartbreak of losing a place that shelters your family and holds your history. As a business owner, I knew the sleepless nights and sweat poured into every small enterprise that washed away. And as a Riverkeeper who’s spent thousands of hours taking water samples, organizing cleanups, and tracking down pollution sources, I was devastated to see all our progress erased overnight.

At first, I thought we were unlucky at MountainTrue. Our five Riverkeepers (Broad Riverkeeper, French Broad Riverkeeper, Green Riverkeeper, Upper New Riverkeeper, and Watauga Riverkeeper) all live and work in the watersheds hardest hit by Helene. We were all dealing with own wreckage and it was overwhelming. But, what I first saw as a liability turned out to be our greatest asset. We had people on the ground in every devastated community. People who knew how to test wells, sample water, clean up debris, and connect with families in need.

Taking Action

The first days were chaotic. Everywhere you turned, there was something on fire, literally and figuratively. It felt impossible to know where to start. Then, while unloading a semi-truck of bottled water, I stumbled upon a relief center run not by the city, but by a patchwork of nonprofits, local leaders, and volunteers from across the country. That’s when it hit me: we didn’t need a master plan; we just needed to act.

Before we were “ready” and before anyone gave us permission, we started cleaning up. The City of Asheville even told us not to touch the rivers within city limits. We politely told them this was our life’s work, and we’d be out there doing what Waterkeepers do. Our first volunteer cleanup drew an overwhelming turnout. The community was hungry to help. We quickly realized we didn’t have enough staff to meet the demand, so we created a new position just to coordinate volunteers. Then we went to our state legislators and told our story: we were the only group willing and able to do this work, and it mattered. They listened.

Recovery and Growth

We came home with $10 million in state funding for river cleanup. Since then, we’ve hired more than 80 people, created nine teams across Western North Carolina, and hauled out over four million pounds of trash. Every week, we’re removing about 10,000 more.

But the numbers only tell part of the story. This work isn’t just about cleaning a river — it’s about restoring dignity, purpose, and hope for people who lost everything. Before the storm, I was a fighter. If someone polluted my river, I came at them with everything I had. Helene changed me. It taught me empathy. Most people aren’t trying to harm the river. They’re just trying to feed their families, rebuild their homes, and survive.

Lessons Learned

This storm broke everyone in my community to some degree, but in many cases, it left something better or stronger behind. It taught me to look past what divides us, focus on what unites us, and take action together. At the recent North America Regional Summit, we shared lessons learned with fellow Waterkeepers, paying forward the hard-earned knowledge and experience to help others protect their communities and waters.

Helene taught me how quickly everything can wash away, and how, even in the fiercest storms, we are strongest when we face it together.

This guest blog was written by Hartwell Carson, Clean Water Director for MountainTrue and former French Broad Riverkeeper in Asheville, North Carolina. Visit MountTrue’s website to learn more about their work and ongoing recovery efforts. MountainTrue also supports fellow Waterkeepers in Africa by building wells and installing water filters, bringing clean water to communities that need it most. To learn more, visit Clean Water Africa and check out their online auction. 100% of the proceeds go to clean water projects in Uganda and Kenya.

All photos used in the blog are courtesy of Hartwell Carson.

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Boat owners take note: Humboldt Bay’s only marine fueling dock will be closed Jan. 1-16

Eureka-owned facility, operated by Englund Marine, will be installing and plumbing a new above-ground tank in accordance with new state regulations

The city of Eureka announced last weekend that the city-owned Marine Fueling Facility at 2 Commercial Street would be temporarily closed as the city works to come into compliance with new state regulations. The facility, which is the only commercial refueling dock between Fort Bragg and Crescent City, is scheduled to be closed from Jan. 1-16.

“During the closure, the facility will transition from underground to an aboveground tank, as mandated by the State of California,” a notice issued by the city last Friday read. “Anyone in need of unleaded or diesel fuel from this location should top off their tanks before December 31.”

According to Eureka’s engineering department, the site is prepped and ready for the installation of a compliant aboveground tank as soon as possible; the city is waiting on the item due to high manufacturing demand.

“There is a high demand for the aboveground tanks, causing long lead times on manufacturing. At this point, we are waiting for the tank to be completed and delivered,” Engineering Project Manager Brittany Powell told the Times-Standard via email Friday. “The January 1-16 dates were the best estimate based on delivery time.”

Updates to the project will be available at https://www.eurekaca.gov/744/Current-Projects.

Reflections from a New California Coastal Commissioner

Public access to the beach is so deeply tied to who we are as Californians that it’s hard to imagine a time when it wasn’t guaranteed. When developers once tried to fence off parts of the coast, Californians pushed back and built the strongest coastal protections in the nation.

Proposition 20—the “People’s Initiative” of 1972, which created the California Coastal Commission—was a defining moment in shaping how we protect our coastline. It cemented California’s identity as a state that values open beaches, thriving wildlife and responsible development. Keeping our coast accessible to everyone while balancing preservation and progress remains one of our greatest challenges.

Before my appointment to the Coastal Commission, I had no idea how much work went into defending those protections every single day. As a city official in a beach town, I often heard people grumble about the commission. But after seeing the work up close, I have realized that most frustrations come from not fully understanding what the agency actually does.

LOCAL CONTROL MATTERS

The Coastal Commission is not a faraway bureaucracy calling all the shots. About 80% of coastal development permits are handled locally by cities and counties that know their communities best. The process can feel slow (we’re always looking for efficiencies), but that is what ensures decisions are fair, transparent and consistent up and down the coast.

PUBLIC ACCESS IS EVERYTHING

Having grown up in Florida, I have seen how quickly beaches can become off-limits once private interests move in. In California, the commission’s enforcement team works tirelessly to keep our beaches open to all. It investigates complaints, takes legal action when needed and protects everyone’s right to enjoy the ocean, especially people from inland communities who might otherwise be left out.

COASTAL EROSION IS REAL

Anyone who spends time on the coast can see it: Our beaches are shrinking. Through sand replenishment, dune restoration and other nature-based projects, the commission helps local governments slow erosion and plan ahead. Millions of dollars in grants support research on where shoreline armoring makes sense and where retreat might allow beaches to move inland as sea levels rise.

These efforts are not just about policy; they are about protecting what makes California, California. Our ocean-based economy brings in more than $40 billion a year, and that success did not happen by accident. It is the result of generations who believed our coastline should remain public and protected.

Serving on the Coastal Commission has given me a new appreciation for that legacy. Protecting our coast is not just environmental policy; it is a promise to future generations. In California, the beach belongs to everyone. Keeping it that way will always be worth the effort.

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