King Tide Season
It's that time of year again- King Tide Season. King Tides, also called "sunny day flooding" or "high tide flooding" are expected to occur between September and December. King Tides are the highest high tides of the year which can flood low-lying areas with saltwater. Depending on the height of the King Tides can overtop seawalls and flow up through storm drains. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's tide prediction data, we're expecting King Tides on the following dates:
- September 16-22;
- October 14-21*;
- November 13-18; and
- December 13-15.
City staff has been working to reduce the impacts of King Tides and has installed tidal check valves in areas that suffer most from King Tides. These valves are designed to restrict the flow of water in our stormwater outfalls- they let water drain out but don't let water flow in. Even just today, our Stormwater Crews installed a new tidal check valve in the City.
Between now and King Tide days, take the time to prepare by educating yourself and your peers on the causes of sea-level rise and what you can do to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. Recurring floods like King Tides provide a test-run of likely sea-level rise scenarios. As sea-level rises, the frequency of high tide flooding like King Tides is expected to increase to nearly 50 times per year by 2030 and 200 times per year by 2045.
If you experience flooding due to King Tides, please upload photos and the location via our MyHB app and the Broward County Document the Flood Crowdsourcing Map.
*October is predicted to be the highest of the 4 months, with tides rising 1.62 ft NAVD on October 18th.