South Florida is expected to experience its final major round of king tides this week.
The high seasonal tides occur naturally every year, but as climate change raises sea levels, they also have become more intense in recent years.
The National Weather Service has issued a coastal flood statement — the lowest alert level — for Florida’s east coast. Forecasters at the NWS Miami office report tide levels running about 1 to 1.2 feet above average.
A coastal flood warning will be issued if tides reach 1.5 feet above average.
“There could be some minor coastal flooding in isolated areas,” the Miami office of the National Weather Service said.
The highest tides are anticipated during the second half of the week, particularly on Wednesday and Thursday. Fortunately, the weather is expected to stay mostly dry, with only about a 20% chance of showers.
Last month’s king tide was the largest of the year, intensified by strong northeasterly winds and a nearby tropical storm. They brought coastal flooding to low-lying roads from Miami-Dade to Broward County — much of it relatively minor and brief.
Here are the NWS’s predictions for high tides for the next few days:
Virginia Key:
Wednesday: 7:32 a.m. and 7:39 p.m.
Thursday: 8:22 a.m. and 8:29 p.m.
Friday: 9:12 a.m. and 9:18 p.m.
Port Everglades:
Wednesday: 7:30 a.m., 7:36 p.m.
Thursday: 8:21 a.m., 8:26 p.m.
Friday: 9:12 a.m., 9:19 p.m.
This story was originally published by the Miami Herald and shared in partnership with the Florida Climate Reporting Network, a multi-newsroom initiative founded by the Miami Herald, the Sun-Sentinel, The Palm Beach Post, the Orlando Sentinel, WLRN Public Media and the Tampa Bay Times.
