SEASIDE, Ore. (KOIN) — King tides began hitting the Oregon coast Friday morning and will continue through the weekend
Longtime Seaside residents know the King tide all too well. This force of nature is unpredictable.
“You see these spectacular waves, 25-foot, 28-foot waves hitting the coast,” Phil McCurdy told KOIN 6 News. “The water is all in a turmoil, frothing.”
The monstrous waves have a rugged beauty, he said. “But you do have to be very careful because the sneaker waves can come up and take people right off the beach. And that happens quite often, more often than you might think.”
He and his friend Bob McNamee shared storm stories with KOIN 6 News. “Sometimes we can get 3 or 4 inches of rain in a day. That’s a lot of rain,” McCurdy said.
The King tides arrive along with heavy rain and high winds, which makes the headlands extremely vulnerable and beach erosion highly likely.
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City officials want residents and visitors to prepare for possible flooding in low-lying areas along the coast, including Highway 26. They also warned people to stay off the beach because the King tide can push logs all the way into parking lots.
Seaside residents are well aware, too.
“You don’t ever turn your back on the ocean,” McNamee said.
“I love being out on there at times and watching that ocean,” McCurdy said.
Stay with the KOIN 6 Weather Team for all the latest details.
