Bay Area flood advisory issued for holiday weekend

The Bay Area may be getting an early Christmas present that nobody wanted over the long holiday weekend: localized flooding in low-lying areas, brought on by tides and the possibility of rain.

The National Weather Service [NWS] issued a flood advisory Friday morning extending from an area from the Point Reyes National Seashore all the way down to the Big Sur Coast, including San Francisco itself and the peninsula.

“A Coastal Flood Advisory indicates that tides will generate flooding of low areas along the shore,” according to warning.

An advisory indicates “minor or nuisance flooding”—nothing likely to threaten safety or significant property damage, but enough to possibly cause hazards on certain roads or swamp properties in low-lying zones.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s sea-level rise mapping tool can help identify areas potentially prone to flooding.

“These locations may also include parking lots, coastal trails, sidewalks and even roadways that are not ordinarily affected by the tides,” the NWS forecast warns, and those who live or will be traveling through regions near or below sea level should keep an eye out for creeping waters.

The flood potential is exacerbated by the possibility of rain, which NWS puts at about a 20 percent chance of showers on Sunday and Sunday night and around 40 percent odds on Monday.

The Weather Channel has a more aggressive storm forecast, predicting a 60 percent chance of rain in San Francisco come Monday.

• Flood Advisory [NWS]
• Flood Terms [NWS]
• SF Forecast [NWS]
• SF Forecast [Weather.com]
• Digital Coast Tool [NOAA]