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Coastal Flooding and King Tides – What’s going on?

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Coastal Flooding and King Tides – What’s going on?

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October - December 2017

Flooding from high tide events can affect low-lying coastal areas. These often time occur during the fall (September-December) with the peak usually occurring the King Tide (highest tide of year) in October. The below link will take you to the NOAA predicted tide chart for each of the months of October, November, and December 2017 at the Lake Worth Pier; when we expect our King Tides. These graphs summarize the peak dates and heights by day for 2017, in feet above mean lower low water (MLLW). As a reference, the mean highest high tide for this location in 2017 is 3.06 ft. and we are looking at the range of dates that will be approximately .5 feet above the MHHW. September has not been included in this chart since it did not breach the .5 ft. prediction.

Date Range Highest Date  Prediction (Ft)
October 5 -11, 2017October 8, 20173.86
October 17-22, 2017October 18-20, 20173.57
November 2-9, 2017November 5, 20174.01
December 2-7, 2017December 4, 20174.00

 

In addition, NOAA extrapolates predicted tides throughout various sites in Palm Beach County. You can click on a station name to be redirected to that station’s specific predictions that are offset for height and timing for that location. Note: these predictions are based on gravitational forces only and offshore weather (winds, currents, and/or storms) often will magnify or diminish predicted tides.

SEPTEMBER 2017 Lake Worth Pier detailed tidal data

OCTOBER 2017 Lake Worth Pier detailed tidal data

NOVEMBER 2017 Lake Worth Pier detailed tidal data

DECEMBER 2017 Lake Worth Pier detailed tidal data

 
View Apps and Information on Flooding and King Tide events:

Coastal Flooding and King Tides  

Coastal Flooding and King Tides - Click to enlarge image.

 

But, is King Tide flooding getting worse? Tides have been doing this since there was an ocean for the moon to move, of course, but the ocean is now taking up more space, courtesy of the changing climate, and the tides have nowhere else to go but over seawalls and up through storm drains into our streets and communities.
 
What can you do?
Be safe during flooding events:
  • Do not put yourself and others at risk of injury by walking or driving through floodwater – six inches of fast flowing water can knock you off your feet and less than a meter of water can float a car.
  • Avoid coming into direct contact with flood water as it may be contaminated with sewage and other pollutants. Do not allow children to play in or near floodwater. If you are exposed to floodwater, immediately wash exposed areas of your skin.
  • Flooding can result in hazards below the surface you cannot see that could cause injury, e.g. nails, broken glass, debris and displaced manhole covers.
  • Floodwaters can be a threat to your life as well as cause short and long-term damage to your vehicle. Do not drive through flooded areas, turn around and find another way.
  • If you drive through a tidal flood, wash the undercarriage of your car to remove the saltwater. You can go through a car wash equipped with an undercarriage sprayer.
  • Landscaping inundated during coastal flooding events should be rinsed and/or rained on thoroughly before adding fertilizer or pesticides.
  • If you are a boater, check the tides before leaving the dock. High tides cause lower clearances under fixed bridges.
 
A few points to ponder:
 
Tide stations used for South Florida predictions are Lake Worth Pier, Virginia Key, Vaca Key, and Key West and can be found:
 
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