This week, the ocean is coming to low-lying areas near you! King tides are back for the next several months, which will lead to sunny day ocean water flooding for vulnerable areas at times.

The exact highest tide will vary for different locations, but through the end of the next several months, when the moon is nearly full, high and low tides will be elevated. In 2026 into 2027, this will occur during the end of the month, through January.

What Causes King Tides?

The Earth's orbit around the Sun is offset a bit, meaning the distance to the Sun varies throughout the year. The Earth's closest point to the Sun occurs in early January, meaning the gravitational effects of the Sun on the oceans increase through early January. When the moon is full and closer to the Earth (perigee), this adds another pull of gravity and increases the tides further. This will occur toward the end of October, November, December, and January, increasing the range of tides.

In October, the full moon occurs on the 26th while the moon's closest point to Earth happens just a few days later. This will help create some of the highest tides of the year for many areas along the U.S. East Coast.

East Coast

Florida

Coastal flood alerts are in effect for the Atlantic Coast of Florida, all the way up into Virginia. High tide flooding could leave vulnerable areas under a foot or two of water at times, leading to various impacts, including closed roads.

Florida's highest tide cycles of the fall season will occur in October and November, with the highest tides of October's cycle happened Tuesday morning. Low-lying areas will have several rounds of flooding this week, so it's best to avoid low-lying areas during high tide times.

Carolinas

The latest forecast is showing the tides are decreasing in height over the next few days. While this is good news, if you are traveling along the coast stay vigilant driving through flood waters!

Mid-Atlantic & Northeast

Minor coastal flooding is expected in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast during the October cycle of king tides. Low-lying areas could see flooding inundate areas with about a foot of water. In New England, the highest tides should occur during the November and December cycles.

West Coast

California

California is already experiencing elevated tides due to El Niño and a surge of warm water up the coast, known as a Marine Kelvin Wave. Several large wave events this fall have damaged numerous homes along the coast as well. As a result, King Tide impacts in California could be more significant this season compared to past years. Alerts have been issued from San Diego up past the Bay Area.

The highest tides of the October cycle occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, though the highest tides of the year are expected in December.

Oregon & Washington

The highest tides of the year for Washington and Oregon are expected later this year as well, during the December high tide cycle. A full "supermoon" will aid in making these tides quite impactful.