Be prepared, South Florida: Here’s when king tides may flood your street this year

Every year, higher-than-usual high tides creep into South Florida streets, yards, and sometimes homes or stores. Scientists say it’s a preview of what’s to come as climate change sends sea levels higher and higher.

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Those highest annual tides — also known as king tides — are somewhat predictable. They follow the usual patterns of full and new moons, which help researchers predict the days and weeks when flooding might be the worst.

Some king tides are little more than an inch of saltwater pooling in a street drain. But others, especially when combined with onshore winds, heavy rains or a tropical storm, can cause havoc for South Florida. Previous king tides have submerged downtown Miami, swamped cars in Fort Lauderdale and invaded ground-floor businesses.

READ MORE: King tides in South Florida: Getting worse and a sign of sea level rise to come

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) recently shared the expected dates for the 2026 king tide season:

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• Aug. 11-14, 2026
• Sept. 8-15, 2026
• Sept. 24-Oct. 15, 2026
• Oct. 22-Nov. 12, 2026
• Nov. 22-29, 2026
• Dec. 22-27, 2026

The highest predicted flooding days of the year could be near the Oct. 27 full moon.

However, those are predictions for days that are months away. It makes a big difference if it’s been raining for days already when tides start to creep higher, or if winds are blowing onshore versus offshore.

The University of Miami, along with the SFWMD, provides weekly forecasts for predicted king tide flooding. The current forecast, which extends through the first king tide next week, doesn’t call for any serious flooding.

Instead, the forecast said, Miami could see high tides about a foot higher than normal — below the threshold for “minor” flooding.

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