SoFla Guide Editors
If your street looks more like a canal today, you’re not imagining it. King tides, strong onshore winds gusting up to 40 mph and heavy rain are causing moderate to major coastal flooding across South Florida, CBS News Miami reported Monday, with a NEXT Weather Alert in effect. A Coastal Flood Warning covers Miami-Dade, Broward and the upper Florida Keys through 8 p.m. Wednesday, according to WSVN 7News. So this isn’t a one-night thing.
Where it’s flooding right now
Start in Miami Beach, where the ocean decided to come inland. WSVN 7News reported flooding on Collins Avenue near 52nd Street, with saltwater pushing up through storm drains and water breaching the seawall.
Up the coast, A1A along the Atlantic in South Palm Beach and Lantana was shut down at 11 a.m. Monday, the Palm Beach Post reported, with police directing drivers to make u-turns. Lantana residents are reportedly calling it the worst flooding they’ve seen, according to a WPBF headline.
In Broward, businesses along Hollywood Beach were putting out sandbags ahead of the flooding, CBS Miami reported. Hollywood Beach store owner Leo Geist told the station he’s been through this recently.
“Last time, which was a month ago, we had three feet with the full moon and without wind, and we got washed out,” Geist said.
This time there’s wind. Plenty of it.
Farther north in Martin County, parts of the area off Dyer Point Road in Palm City were completely underwater Monday, WPTV reported. Resident Terresa Baldwin described the scene to the station.
“The wind was blowing so hard, so it was like waves crashing in your backyard, and you’re like, no, nobody wants to see that,” Baldwin said.
The beaches are taking a beating too. WPLG Local 10 reported that several stretches of beach began cliffing, a form of erosion, including at Mizell-Johnson State Park in Dania Beach. And in Palm Beach, Midtown Beach was already eroding on Sunday, driven by peak king tides, a full Hunter’s Moon and a strong northeast swell, according to the Palm Beach Post.
Should you be worried tonight?
Be careful, not panicked. The warnings run for days, and the biggest risk for most people is doing something avoidable, like driving into a flooded street.
A Wind Advisory for Miami-Dade and Broward went into effect at 11 a.m. Monday, WSVN 7News reported. The National Weather Service urged residents not to drive, walk or wade through saltwater flooding, according to CBS Miami.
Dave Rosko of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office put it plainly to WPTV: “Understand the limitations of your vehicle and do not drive through the high waters. If your vehicle gets disabled there, it may turn into a rescue event where we need to come out and ensure your safety.”
Translation: your sedan is not a boat. Turn around.
For people who live right on the water, the hard part is the overnight uncertainty. Baldwin summed up that feeling for WPTV.
“The biggest concern for us is getting water from both sides. What do you do, especially when you’re trying to sleep, and you don’t know if the water’s going to come up more,” she said.
If you’re in a low-lying spot, now is a good time to move your car to higher ground, keep valuables off the floor and check updates before bed.
Why this keeps happening
King tides are the highest astronomical tides of the year. They happen when the Moon’s closest approach to Earth lines up with a new or full moon, and they typically come around three to four times a year. In low-lying South Florida, that makes them a recurring flood hazard.
This round has extra fuel. Fox Weather’s Bryan Norcross said the event is amplified by a full Hunter’s Moon and persistent strong northeast winds, with high pressure over western North Carolina and low pressure over the southern Bahamas setting up that onshore push.
And it’s not the first time this fall. AccuWeather reported that a king tide event in early October disrupted power at Miami Beach condominiums and flooded streets. The bigger picture isn’t helping, either. Sea levels near South Florida have risen about eight inches over the past three decades, worsening king tide impacts on coastal communities, according to the Miami Herald.
In Lantana, drainage has been a sore spot for a while. WPTV reported on drainage concerns two years ago, when town officials were weighing improvements and a stormwater fee. Town officials said this month that drainage projects are underway, according to WFLX and WPTV.
What’s next
The Coastal Flood Warning stays in effect through 8 p.m. Wednesday, WSVN 7News reported, so expect more soggy commutes and possible road closures along the coast over the next few days.
For official updates, follow the National Weather Service, the National Hurricane Center and your county emergency management office. Check before you head out, skip the flooded roads, and leave the beach-erosion sightseeing for after the water goes down.
