Crews are installing temporary flood barriers along portions of San Francisco's waterfront this week as the city prepares for winter storms, king tides and El Niño conditions, ABC7 reported. The barriers are expected to remain through April.
They include a combination of fixed and movable sections about 4 feet high and will be installed at flood-prone locations including sections of the Embarcadero near the Ferry Building, the Fisherman's Wharf area, and near Piers 80 and 96. "What we're having that's unusual this winter is we're having El Nino impacts, plus Kelvin waves and the possibility of storms," said Eric Young of the Port of San Francisco. "And so when you combine all those effects together, we could see some very high waves in the bay and the possibility of flooding along the waterfront." Crews were already preparing for installation near Fisherman's Wharf. Joaquin Garcia, manager of Musée Mécanique, told ABC7 that past storms have leaked into the arcade and required costly repairs. This installation follows the city's earlier local emergency declaration, which authorized faster purchases of barriers, pumps and generators.