Northern California Faces Severe Flooding Due to King Tides

Wed Jan 07 2026 09:26:23 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Heavy rains and record-breaking King Tides lead to significant flooding in Northern California, prompting road closures and rescues.

Extreme weather conditions in Northern California, including heavy rain and record King Tides, have created severe flooding across the region. Authorities are urging residents to stay home while emergency services conduct rescues of individuals trapped in vehicles. The impacts are being felt from Sausalito to San Rafael, with additional flooding reported in Santa Barbara County as well.

CORTE MADERA, Calif. — Northern California is experiencing its worst flooding in decades, primarily due to heavy rain coinciding with unprecedented King Tides. The combination of these weather events has led to significant road closures and emergency rescues as some individuals found themselves stranded in vehicles submerged in water as deep as 4 feet.

As floodwaters swept through areas from Sausalito to San Rafael, local authorities have implemented urgent measures to assist affected residents. Marin County Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Dobbins noted, There is a lot of water in the roadways... It created the perfect storm for flooding on the streets.

Local authorities have advised residents to stay indoors until floodwaters recede and to remain vigilant for further weather advisories. In some areas, locals took to kayaking down swamped streets or wading through knee-deep water.

Meanwhile, Santa Barbara County reports additional challenges, including blocked highways due to mudslides and at least one fatality linked to the storm as a man was swept away in a creek.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for the San Francisco area, effective until the weekend, indicating that repeat rounds of precipitation are expected to continue throughout the region.

King Tides occur when the sun, moon, and Earth align, bringing about a stronger gravitational pull that can lead to unusually high ocean levels and resulting coastal impacts.