Newport Beach approved a nearly $1.49 million sand-replenishment contract, plus a $375,000 contingency, as it prepares for another round of king tides.

The City Council approved the spending and declared a second weather-related emergency at a special meeting Monday, Oct. 19, as first reported by the Daily Pilot. The declaration follows an Oct. 9 order tied to flooding from Tropical Storm Rachel.

The council awarded a $1,487,678 contract to Riverside-based Jeremy Harris Construction, with an additional $375,000 contingency. The company will haul roughly 100,000 cubic yards of sand from the mouth of the Santa Ana River to beaches between 36th and 62nd streets. Work was expected to begin the week of Oct. 19.

Public Works Director Dave Webb said the city secured permits from Orange County, which has jurisdiction over the riverbed and performs its own sand removal every three to four years. Webb told the council he believes it is fair to ask the county for reimbursement, since the city is clearing material the county would eventually have to remove.

The project will be funded by more than $1.82 million in city revenue from paid parking lots, mooring fees, pier and marina rentals, plus $200,000 in oceanfront encroachment fees. All of those funds are restricted to tidelands projects.

The city's emergency resolution authorizes officials to close streets and restrict parking in low-lying waterfront areas, including Balboa Peninsula, Balboa Island, the Finley Tract and Newport Island.

Ocean water levels have been running 18 to 22 inches above predicted astronomical tides, city staff told the council. If those conditions hold during the king tides, flooding could be significantly higher than forecast.

The city also activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at City Hall to coordinate responses to potential coastal flooding. It is the first EOC activation since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mayor Lauren Kleiman said she has scheduled meetings with Orange County officials and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and is reaching out to state legislators for assistance.

Resident Kristina Grace urged the council to act quickly. "I'm truly frightened I might wake up and my home won't be here, and I have to rely on you," she said. Kevin Kassel said the city "barely survived" Tropical Storm Rachel's flooding and called for larger investments in future budgets.

The upcoming king tides are the first in a series of unusually high tide events expected through December and into the new year, according to the city. El Niño conditions could push ocean levels even higher in the months ahead.

Free prefilled sandbags are available at the Corporation Yard, 592 Superior Ave.; Marina Park, 1600 W. Balboa Blvd.; and temporary Fire Station No. 1 at the East Ocean Front Parking Lot near Balboa Pier. Empty sandbags are available at Lifeguard Headquarters and Newport Beach fire stations. Supplies are limited.

Residents can sign up for emergency alerts through Newport Notified at NBPD.org and track conditions at NewportBeachCA.gov/ElNino.