Fort Lauderdale experienced some street flooding Thursday morning -- but it wasn't due to rain. King tides were to blame for the event, and South Florida may see more of it in the coming months.
WHAT ARE KING TIDES?
“King tides” are a general term for exceptionally high tides.
WHEN DO KING TIDES HAPPEN?
King tides occur when the sun, moon and earth are aligned, or during a full moon or new moon cycle. When the moon is in close proximity with the earth, there is a stronger gravitational pull on the ocean, causing the tides to be higher than usual.
Right now, we’re in a new moon cycle, which means we can expect to see king tides on Sept. 21 and 22. We can also expect to see king tides during the full moon cycle in early October, the new moon cycle in late October and the full moon cycle in early November.
King tides in early November could offer some of the biggest flooding, due to the perigean spring tide. “This is when the moon is either new or full and closest to earth, higher than normal high tides and lower than normal low tides will occur,” the National Oceanic Aerospace Administration said.
Local
Using Miami Harbor as a reference point, here’s when we can expect to see king tides in South Florida:
Sept. 21: 10:24 p.m.
Sept. 22: 10:49 a.m., 11:02 p.m.
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM KING TIDES?
As seen Thursday morning in Fort Lauderdale, some tidal flooding can occur along the coastline during king tides. So if you see street flooding without rain, that’s why.
Some coastal erosion may occur if there is a storm at the same time as the king tides. Finally, lower than normal low tides will also occur, according to the NOAA.
