El Niño Threatens U.S. Coastlines with Severe Erosion
El Niño, the periodic warming of surface waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific, is intensifying and already causing significant damage to U.S. coastlines. In Carlsbad, California, Tamarack Beach disappeared almost overnight, while seawalls and homes across Southern California have been severely damaged. This El Niño event is breaking records, with local sea levels rising 6–12 inches (15–30 cm) above normal due to warmer waters. A Kelvin wave, an invisible pulse of warm water, is also contributing to sustained sea level rises, compounding the risks of king tides and winter storms. The East Coast is also bracing for increased storm surges and nor’easters, as El Niño shifts the Pacific jet stream southward, steering more storms toward the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions.
