King Tides Send Seawater Into Coastal Streets From California to Florida

You may have heard a lot about king tides this week. These exceptionally high tides have been impacting both coasts of the U.S. in recent days, triggering flooding that has damaged homes and businesses. Here is the latest on where these tides are causing the most damage, as well as when they are expected to ease.

California Experiences Record King Tides

Coastal flooding has been an issue across large swaths of California, Florida, and the Southeast over the last few days. However, the flooding is not coming at the hands of heavy rain. Instead, high tides known as king tides are creating the problems.

King tides happen in conjunction with a full moon, enhancing the natural flow of water. The Hunter's Moon hit its full phase on Sunday evening along the West Coast and just after midnight on Monday on the East Coast. Just as the moon was reaching the full phase of its cycle, the winds and other ocean conditions were amplifying the natural rising of the tides.

These king tides sent seawater levels well higher than usual, pushing water onto roads and into homes and other structures. Video footage in Southern California showed the floodwaters knocking on the doorstep of coastal mansions. For instance, San Diego's tide gauge hit a top reading of 8.14 feet. This measurement was 1.5 feet above the forecast level and just over an inch below the record of 8.26 feet.

Coastal flood warnings remain in place for San Diego and Orange counties through midday Thursday. The National Weather Service (NWS) is warning that the high tides expected late Thursday morning could send water spilling into homes, businesses, and across critical infrastructure. Residents in Huntington Beach and Newport were forced to use pails to bail water out of buildings.

While the arrival of the king tides is not surprising, the severity of this week's event has surpassed predictions. The observed tides are running roughly 1.5 to 1.7 feet above the astronomical forecast. Shoreline erosion has also been a byproduct of these tides.

Record-high tides were confirmed in Los Angeles, as water levels hit 2.5 feet for three straight days. Water levels in San Francisco also eclipsed the previous October record on Tuesday.

Coastal flood advisories are in effect through at least Friday for much of the coastline. In addition to coastal erosion, residents are being told to be wary of flooded roadways and parking lots as unusually high tides wash up on shore.

King Tides Also Wreaking Havoc in Florida

The severity of the king tides and their associated impacts is also affecting parts of the East Coast. South Florida has been hit the hardest by the rising tides. Coastal flood warnings were a common story for a large swath of Broward and Miami-Dade counties as erosive saltwater seeped into low-lying properties and made roads impassable at times.

Daytona Beach was hit hard by the combination of heavy rain and king tides. The pairing of these two quickly overwhelmed drainage systems and flooded area roadways.

Moving farther to the north, coastal flooding was an issue for several communities in the Carolinas. Advisories are in place for portions of the North Carolina coastline through Thursday. The vulnerable Hatteras Island is susceptible to ocean overwash.

The tides will begin to pull back by the end of the week, giving both coasts time to recover from the flooding impacts. However, California officials are already warning residents that more king tides are looming in the near future. 

The next king tide event is forecast to hit the Golden State in the days leading up to the busy Thanksgiving holiday. Following the tides on November 24 - 26, the next time the state will be dealing with these high tides will be on December 23 - 25 and again on January 21 - 22.

All of these date ranges surround full supermoons. This is when the moon is at its closest distance to Earth, triggering the higher tide events.

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