King Tide May Bring Flooding to Miami This Week: Experts Weigh In

On Monday, September 16, the National Weather Service (NWS) of Miami issued a heads-up for coastal residents: thanks to the king tide, higher-than-normal water levels might bring "minor coastal flooding" through midweek.

9/16: Higher than normal water levels due to King Tides will result in the potential of *minor coastal flooding* (during high tide) through the middle of the work week. A few things to keep in mind:

- Saltwater can damage vehicles, avoid parking in low-lying coastal areas.

1/2 pic.twitter.com/FrlzALqWbJ

— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) September 16, 2024

To break it down, the NWS provided a quick science lesson on what king tides are.

King Tides and the Force of Gravity

Essentially, king tides occur when the gravitational forces of the Earth, sun, and moon align during new and full moons, causing more extreme high tides.

"When the Earth, sun, and moon are nearly in alignment, average tidal ranges are slightly larger. This occurs twice each month with the full and new moon," the NWS explains. "The gravitational pull of the sun is added to the gravitational pull of the moon on Earth, causing the oceans to bulge a bit more than usual. This means the high tides are a little higher than average."

Specifically, during certain times of the year — usually in the fall — when the moon is closer to Earth, the stronger gravitational force triggers higher-than-average tides. In Miami, that translates to the frustrating phenomenon of sunny-day flooding.

Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami and a hurricane and climate expert, chimed in on X (formerly known as Twitter) to herald the coming of this year's tidal flooding. 

"The first round of tidal flooding in 2024 is likely this week, enhanced by Tuesday's full moon," the weather expert posted.

The first round of tidal flooding in 2024 is likely this week, enhanced by Tuesday's full moon. Through a joint project with the Rosenstiel School and SFWMD, we create 10-day tide forecasts for seven stations in south Florida: https://t.co/YLA5mKVfhb.
Examples from Virginia Key: pic.twitter.com/JAySneE0zX

— Brian McNoldy (@BMcNoldy) September 15, 2024

McNoldy also pointed New Times to a project he's working on in collaboration with the Rosenstiel School and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). Together, they've created ten-day tidal forecasts for seven locations across South Florida.

As for this week specifically, McNoldy says it won't be a big deal.

"Nothing too impactful really, just minor tidal flooding around every high tide the next few days in the usual low-lying trouble spots," he says.

Those "usual low-lying trouble spots" include neighborhoods like Brickell, Edgewater, Coconut Grove, Aventura, the Miami River, and Melrose.

To keep residents safe, the NWS shared a few tips:

Boaters should pay close attention to bridge clearances, which will be lower than normal due to the elevated water levels.

If you're in more urban areas, be aware that stormwater might take longer to drain due to the higher tides. And for anyone with a green thumb, if your lawn gets a salty soak from the king tides, make sure to give it a good rinse — or wait for some rain — before applying any fertilizers or pesticides.

Miamians are used to riding out king tides, but it never hurts to be prepared for the water-level rise.