Areas of Miami-Dade County are expected to experience localized flooding due to high tide events this fall

 
Photo taken in Miami Beach, FL on October 18, 2013

(MIAMI, November 1, 2013) – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Tides and Currents data predicts that the South East Florida Region will experience unusually high tides again this fall. Tides are predicted to be at their highest on November 3^rd through November 6^th, November 15^th, and December 3^rd through December 6^th.  These high tide events are expected to be 7’’ to 10” above the average high tides for 2013 during these dates (see chart below). Tidal fluctuations are a natural occurrence and typically go unnoticed. However extreme tide events such as these can potentially impact drainage systems and may cause flooding in low lying areas.

Tides are influenced by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun, and therefore cycle on a daily, monthly, and seasonal basis.  Tides can also be affected by factors such as sea level and weather, particularly wind and storm surge. 

Typically, higher-than-average tides tend to occur in our region during the months of September, October and November and can be more extreme due to the factors mentioned above.  Because the region’s storm water systems depend on gravity to drain excess water to the ocean, these high tides can flow back up into drainage systems along the coast and canals, flooding streets and adjacent areas.  This occurred during a similar higher-than-average tide event on October 18th (See Photo Above).  Therefore, residents are advised to use caution when traveling on any streets with standing water.

These annual extreme tide events illustrate the potential challenges of future sea level rise to low-lying coastal communities in South Florida and underscore the importance of developing appropriate strategies to address and reduce coastal flooding impacts. The upcoming 5^th Annual Southeast Florida Regional Climate Summit on November 7^th and 8th provides an opportunity to learn more about these challenges and the work being done in southeast Florida to plan for and address them.  Join elected officials, federal agency representatives, experts from local governments, scientists, nonprofit and business leaders, and others for some of these highlights:

• Coastal Communities Town Hall featuring members of Congress and local mayors, moderated by WLRN-FM Senior Correspondent Tom Hudson
• Keynote address on Thursday from US EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe
• Workshop on innovative tools for local adaptation
• Panel featuring local officials from the Northeast discussing recovery from Hurricane Sandy
• Federal agency panel with perspectives on current and planned policies and initiatives

The Summit is hosted by Broward County and the City of Fort Lauderdale this year in partnership with the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact.  For more information on how Miami-Dade County and its regional partners are working to make our community better prepared and more resilient to sea level rise and climate related impacts, please visit http://green.miamidade.gov/.  

Photos of localized flooding during this fall’s extreme high tide events are available upon request by calling Luis Espinoza at 305-372-6770.  For more information on tides & currents, visit NOAA’s Website: http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaatidepredictions/NOAATidesFacade.jsp?Stationid=8723178payers multiple implementations of clients comparable in size and scope to Miami-Dade, and integration options for the County’s website.