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'King Tides' Hitting California Coast

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Exceptionally high tides along the California coast could bring flooding to low-lying areas like marinas and beach parking lots.

The National Weather Service says so-called King Tides starting Tuesday could affect areas from San Francisco Bay down to Southern California.

The highest level of the week will be Wednesday. The weather service says tides could top 7.6 feet in Orange and San Diego counties.

The tides will be accompanied by off-shore rip currents into the weekend.

The King Tide phenomenon is the result of a natural coastal rhythm.

It happens when the sun and moon align, which pulls ocean water to opposite sides of the earth and creates extremely high and low tides.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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