5 Things To Know About King Tides

MIAMI, FL — The so-called king tides will be paying the Miami area a visit this month. They tend to be the highest tides of the season. Here are 5 things to know about king tides:

1. What it is: king tide is not a scientific term, nor does there appear to be a consensus as to whether it’s singular or plural. Rather, it's a colloquial way of referring to the highest tides of the season.

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2. Locations of concern: East Coast areas near and along Intracoastal Waterway and adjacent canals. Also possible along Gulf Coast.

3. When to expect them: Near times of high tide.

Here is the Miami Beach schedule of high tides:

Here is the Miami schedule of high tides:

4. Possible impacts: We should be ready for flooding along coastal roads, parking lots and docks in areas that are prone to flooding. Be prepared for water entering structures and underground parking garages. Think back to king tides between 2013 and 2016. In Miami Beach officials caution that higher than predicted tides may result in water over-topping low seawalls and mild street flooding.

Miami Beach reported on Wednesday Oct. 4 that the city was experiencing high tides of 2.2 feet, which is 1.2 feet above the predicted .95 feet. Officials planned to deploy 41 temporary storm water pumps, 18 generators and a Tiger Dam throughout the city. "This is in addition to the many permanent storm water pump stations already in place as part of the city's storm water improvement program still underway," officials said. "It is important to remember that the system is only approximately 15 percent complete."

There were reports on Thursday, Oct. 5 of flooding along roads in Coconut Grove and other areas around Miami. One area resident posted video of what he described as a "natural spring" in his parking garage. See below.

5. Likely dates of occurrence: Oct. 4-10 and Oct. 17-21. The highest tide of the season is expected on Nov. 5, according to Miami Beach officials.

Photo by Paul Scicchitano