King Tide season brings higher chance of flooding to St. Augustine

ST. AUGUSTINE — King Tide season is upon us. These specific tides can bring unusually high water levels, causing local flooding.

St. Augustine residents are no stranger to flooding.

“When it’s raining real hard it drains from all these areas down here,” resident Pat Balanzategui said.

“Any time there is any kind of participation or flooding, then we get water coming in this direction,” resident Rhonda Dunn said.

They’re always prepared for King Tide season.

St. Augustine city officials posted an alert last week, listing the predicted highest tides of the season, the first being this weekend.

First Alert Weather Team Meteorologist Corey Simma explained why residents may see a higher tide.

“The September full moon is a little bit later than normal, so that’s why we may see these high tides at the end of the month,” Simma said.

What exactly is King Tide?

“A King Tide is a tide that’s just a little bit higher than usual. It occurs typically in the months of October in northeast Florida and southeast Georgia,” Simma said.

City officials say more severe flooding can happen if King Tide coincides with severe weather.

Dunn has seen her fair share of King Tide.

“The roads flood. You have a difficult time driving through areas like this… The water comes up through the drain holes and everything,” Dunn said.

In an area that’s lower in elevation, neighbors know what to do.

“If I know it’s going to be high, I go out the other way,” Balanzategui said.

Looking ahead at what’s to come, they also look forward to change in their neighborhood structure.

“We are looking forward to things being done about it and there’s been a lot of conversation,” Dunn said.

You can learn more about King Tide here https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/kingtide.html.

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