RODANTHE, N.C. — “King tide” flooding is wreaking havoc from coast to coast and making road repairs near Rodanthe difficult.
Flooding is a concern through the end of the week as high tides are expected to peak Wednesday on both coasts. However, impacts from these king tide floods could linger through Friday before all is said and done.
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On the West Coast, some spots have seen the highest tides ever recorded, sending water into local streets, businesses, homes, and prompting numerous rescues as well.
The full moon is not the only cause for these unusually high tides, but our El Niño pattern and warmer-than-normal ocean waters are also helping to fuel this flood threat up and down the coast.
On the East Coast, spots in Miami and Fort Lauderdale are also underwater. Officials are saying these tides offer a glimpse of what ordinary tides could look like in our warming climate with sea level rise.
And back in the Carolinas, coastal flood advisories are in place through Thursday afternoon. NC-12 remains closed from the Marc Basnight Bridge to Rodanthe as these high tides hamper progress to road repairs. The National Park Service and NCDOT have also reported substantial beach erosion from Nags Head to Buxton, with significant overwash occurring on side streets in Rodanthe.
NC-12 has been closed since last Monday, October 19th, when a powerful nor’easter caused damage to the road for the second time this season. NCDOT says they hope to have a one-lane detour opened by Friday, also when king tide floods are expected to ease.