Coastal flood advisories across the Bay Area have been extended into the weekend, with some communities pre-staging equipment in case they need to respond to flood-prone areas.
NBC Bay Area meteorologists have warned that high tides could surge nearly 2 feet above normal, potentially causing problems for public transit in San Francisco, including Muni trains.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is preparing equipment, including tons of sandbags that crews can deploy as needed, large sump pumps that can be placed in flooded tunnels or submerged trouble spots, and generators to power those pumps.
For Muni, two potential trouble spots are its light rail station at Cesar Chavez and Illinois streets, near flood-prone Islais Creek, and the Embarcadero Street Muni tunnel, which is close to an area along the Embarcadero that floods during high tide.
“High priority for us is protecting subway service,” said John Becker, SFMTA’s acting chief infrastructure officer. “Obviously, it’s a huge link across the city and also in our shared station partnership with BART. It’s a huge regional impact we could have.”
High tides have already caused flooding in Marin County this week, with low-lying areas near Mill Valley inundated since Monday.
San Francisco’s Embarcadero has also flooded this week.
Authorities in San Mateo County announced their flood staging plans Friday.
There is only a slight chance of rain in San Francisco this weekend. The coastal flooding is happening because of unusually high tide conditions.
Drivers are being reminded not to drive through flooded areas because it can be difficult to determine how deep or dangerous the water may be.
