Florida's seasonal king tides are expected to send seawater onto dry land in Miami-Dade County, raising the risk of nuisance flooding, which can disrupt daily life even without a storm.
In low-lying neighborhoods, water can spill onto streets, sidewalks, and parking lots despite sunny conditions.
Here's what to know
NOAA calls "king tides" a "non-scientific term" for "exceptionally high" tides. In Miami-Dade, which experienced them just this weekend, they are expected five more times over the next few months, according to USA Today.
One possible effect is "sunny day flooding," when "streets, roads, and sidewalks" can flood "even when it is not raining," the City of Miami Beach said.
Miami Beach said these tides are most common in September, October, and November and that each event generally lasts about three hours.
After Sept. 10-13, the other predicted king tide windows in 2026 are Sept. 26-30; Oct. 7-13; Oct. 24-30; Nov. 6-9; and Nov. 23-26. The highest predicted tides are expected in October, especially on Oct. 10, 26, and 27, as the newspaper reported.
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NOAA said the timing is linked to astronomical cycles, with higher than normal tides often occurring around new or full moons and when the moon is at perigee, its closest point to Earth.
More background
Even a brief stretch of tidal flooding can slow traffic, limit parking access, and make it harder for residents to move safely through neighborhoods.
"More severe flooding may result if king tides coincide with bad weather conditions such as heavy rains, strong winds, or big waves," Miami-Dade County warned, per USA Today. "However, sea level rise is causing these tides to happen more frequently, to last longer, and extend further inland than in the past."
Repeated flooding can damage roads, vehicles, homes, and public infrastructure, turning high water into a recurring problem for people living and working in vulnerable areas.
What can be done?
The city said drivers should avoid entering floodwater because it may contain "unseen hazards," including trash and pollutants, according to USA Today.
Officials also recommend not parking in low-lying areas during king tide periods, and they said vehicles that have "come into contact with floodwater should be checked and cleaned."
Anyone who touches floodwater should wash their skin with soap and hot water.
For homes and properties in flood-prone areas, the City of Miami recommended mitigation options such as sandbags.
Where can I learn more?
• Along California's coast, massive king tides offered a visceral preview of future flooding.
• In the Florida Panhandle, flooding from a Gulf spin-up remained possible even without a named storm.
• Across Central Florida, a flash flood threat grew as tropical moisture surged.
These stories help explain why officials warn residents to plan around high water. The same conditions behind sunny-day flooding can also worsen other flood threats in coastal and inland Florida.
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