King Tide, Supermoon increasing flood risk from Outer Banks to Florida

Countless individuals across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic regions are preparing for the dangers of ongoing coastal flooding, as this month’s King Tides align with a Supermoon and strong onshore winds, pushing water into coastal towns.

This recent King Tide event comes on the heels of nearly a dozen houses along North Carolina’s Outer Banks collapsing into the Atlantic due to powerful surf stirred up by hurricanes Imelda and Humberto last week.

Forecasts indicate that the current King Tide will lead to more high water levels, compounded by continuous onshore winds that will trap water along the coast, particularly in Florida.

This King Tide aligns with the Moon’s nearest approach to Earth, resulting in a Supermoon often referred to as the Hunter’s Moon or Harvest Moon.

The Moon’s gravitational force causes the oceans to swell on both the side closest to the Moon and the opposite side, resulting in the two high tides and two low tides observed along most coastlines.

During perigee, when the Moon is closest to our planet, these tides can become more pronounced, leading to the phenomenon known as King Tides.

In light of this, numerous weather alerts have been disseminated, consisting of Coastal Flood Advisories, Coastal Flood Warnings, and Rip Current Statements, stretching from the Carolinas through Florida.

<pMany coastal areas are accustomed to experiencing extreme tidal flooding.

In Charleston, South Carolina, high tides frequently necessitate the closure of downtown streets, with water levels reaching depths that can stall vehicles.

Additional areas likely to face flooding include Savannah and Brunswick in Georgia, as well as St. Augustine, Miami, and Key West in Florida, where drainage systems are often overwhelmed during high tides.

The FOX Forecast Center indicates that the flood risk extends beyond the coast, as water may also surge into tidal rivers, bays, and sounds, including the Cape Fear River, Cooper River, Pamlico Sound, Savannah River, and St. Johns River.

The FOX Forecast Center further stated that the greatest likelihood of flooding will occur early this week, with heightened tides persisting into the latter half of the week.

Conditions are expected to improve by mid- to late-week as winds begin to die down and shift offshore, allowing water levels to gradually decrease.

Following this week’s event, there are still two more Supermoons set for this year: the Beaver Moon on November 5 and the Cold Moon on December 4. Both lunar occurrences are anticipated to elevate tidal levels, although not to the same degree as October’s event.