Belvedere considers water-filled flood barriers as El Niño threat grows
Belvedere may line San Rafael Avenue and Beach Road with water-filled flood barriers this winter, a stopgap meant to hold back a 50-year flood as forecasters warn a very strong El Niño and king tides could collide over the holidays.
Public Works Director Antony Boyd outlined the plan Oct. 12 in a winter-preparedness report to the City Council, saying the city is working with Stetson Engineers to design a temporary barrier system for the two roads, which carry the city’s utilities and form the edges of the Belvedere Lagoon.
The effort is in its preliminary stage, Boyd said, and the exact design is still being worked out. Staff expects to return with an update and possible council action Nov. 9.
The federal Climate Prediction Center said Oct. 8 that El Niño continues to strengthen and that a strong to very strong event is likely to last through January-March 2027. It put the chance at 83% that October-December brings a historic event, exceeding any El Niño since 1950 at 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit or more above normal on a three-month Relative Oceanic Niño Index. Its next update is due Nov. 12.
“For a community like Belvedere with significantly low-lying areas and waterfront infrastructure, that is something that we need to take seriously,” City Manager Robert Zadnik said in introducing the item.
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