After King Tides Swamp Marin, San Rafael Weighs Billion-Dollar Defenses Against the Bay | KQED

"Derek Bentley plugs in a fan at Taylor's House of Karate in San Rafael on Jan. 12, 2026, after the karate studio and surrounding area experienced flooding during a series of king tides and winter storms earlier in the month. The severity of recent floods caught San Rafael by surprise, and scientists say the city must address sea level rise or it will be underwater in the coming decades. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)"

"San Rafael is evaluating the feasibility of three potential fixes: installing a gate at the mouth of San Rafael Creek, building a sea wall along the canal, or redeveloping it. The city estimates that each solution could cost up to $2 billion. Hill worries a gate would trap pollution in the creek and harm native plant and fish species. A sea wall would harden the canal, be complex to maintain and could be at risk of failure as seas rise, she said."

"Redeveloping the canal would require the city, county or private developer to buy some or all of the 86 properties that border the canal, knock the buildings down, and have engineers build a taller barrier before rebuilding on top of it. Hill hopes it could be an earthen levee that future generations could transform for their own benefit. Hill also proposed that San Rafael consider out-of-the-box ideas the Dutch have already "tested and proven," such as floating homes."

San Rafael experienced unexpected severe flooding during king tides and winter storms, inundating businesses and neighborhoods. Scientists warn that sea level rise threatens to submerge parts of the city in coming decades. The city is evaluating three adaptation options: installing a gate at San Rafael Creek, building a sea wall along the canal, or redeveloping the canal shoreline. Each option could cost up to $2 billion. Environmental concerns include trapped pollution, harm to native plants and fish, maintenance complexity, and risk of failure as seas continue rising. Redevelopment would require purchasing about 86 properties, demolishing buildings, building taller barriers, and rebuilding. Proposals include earthen levees and floating-home concepts inspired by Dutch examples.

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