South Florida's Virginia Key tide gauge recorded its fourth-highest water level on record Sunday, Sept. 27, as king tides and weeks of heavy rain flooded streets across the region.
The gauge measured about 2 feet of water above normal high tide, as first reported by the Miami Herald. That reading falls nearly 2 feet below the station's all-time record, set by Hurricane Irma in 2017.
Robert Molleda, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service's Miami office, told the Herald the event was "above-average" but said he had not heard of water entering homes or businesses. "Hopefully, as the rainfall chances increase in the coming days, the tides will fall," Molleda said.
Weather service rates weekend flooding as moderate
As we reported Friday, Sept. 25, forecasters had warned of dangerous conditions heading into the weekend. Flooding began Saturday evening and continued through Sunday morning's high tide. The weather service classified the flooding as moderate, short of the "major" threshold of 2.5 feet above normal.
What Key Biscayne residents can expect this week
The Village of Key Biscayne sits on a barrier island that its own resiliency planning documents describe as vulnerable to flooding from storm events and rising sea levels. The village's Elevating Our Island Paradise program warns residents to expect temporary street flooding in low-lying areas, slower traffic from standing water, possible saltwater damage to landscaping and vehicles, and dangerous swimming conditions during king tides.
Floodwaters are expected to return at the next high tide, about 9:30 p.m. Sunday, and again during the 9:30 a.m. high tide Monday, Sept. 28. The king tide period should ease back to normal levels by Saturday, Oct. 3.
Little rain is forecast for Sunday and Monday, when tides will be highest. Rain is expected to return around Wednesday, Sept. 30, by which time tides should be closer to normal.
Three more king tide periods before year's end
The South Florida Water Management District lists three more king tide periods this year:
- Oct. 22-Nov. 12
- Nov. 22-29
- Dec. 22-27
Scientists predict the Oct. 22-Nov. 12 period will produce the highest tides of the year. Sea levels in South Florida have risen 8 inches over the past 30 years, and researchers project another foot of rise by about 2050, according to the Herald.
Residents can contact the village's Elevating Our Island Paradise program at [email protected] for more information.
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