The annual King Tide is expected to hit Miami Beach this week, which threatens to send sea water over sea walls and create flooding. The City of Miami Beach is working diligently to avoid widespread disaster as this King Tide is expected to bring about an extra foot of water and exceed sea walls.
Ready for king tide? Report flooding through (305) 604-CITY or the eGov app on your smartphone-download now! http://t.co/HSjjEOMTHl— City of Miami Beach (@MiamiBeachNews) October 3, 2014
The King Tide, according to Reuters, is an extra high tide caused by the alignment of the Earth, the moon, and our sun.
T-Minus 6 days to #KingTide. @BMcNoldy writes a timely, outstanding primer on #SeaLevelRise. http://t.co/5mhPplnKfn pic.twitter.com/z5rLuTofxV— John Morales (@JohnMoralesNBC6) October 4, 2014
Week of Oct 4 - 11, high tides will be at extreme levels. New pumps have been installed in some areas to... http://t.co/9BxRJmsWDW— City of Miami Beach (@MiamiBeachNews) October 1, 2014
According to Reuters, worries about the King Tide are giving Miami area residents and officials a taste of what to be concerned with in the future. That coastal region of southern Florida is especially low, and stands to be among the most influenced of densely populated areas if sea levels rise as high as climate experts foresee. Miami Beach City Manager Jimmy Morales says that Miami Beach is already seeing more frequent salt-water street flooding at high tide.
October King Tide Brings Trove Of Data For Sea-Level Threat In Miami Beach http://t.co/ZWeKHlN6Q2— WLRN Public Media (@WLRN) October 1, 2014
The United States Geological Survey predicts that sea levels in southern Florida will rise two feet in the next five decades, The Huffington Post reported. Sea walls won't protect Miami very much from high tides because much of the flooding comes from beneath the city, rising up through the limestone bedrock below.
"There is no serious thinking, no serious planning, about any of this going on at the state level," Chuck Watson, a disaster-impact analyst, explained last year. "The view is, 'Well, if it gets real bad, the federal government will bail us out.' It is beyond denial; it is flat-out delusional."
This year, officials are getting serious and are planning for a future of higher sea waters, according to Reuters.
In today's @statelocal roundup: #MiamiBeach #Florida vs. the "king tides" —> http://t.co/20K2Lwupmq pic.twitter.com/4sfO6uRSD2— GovExec State&Local (@statelocal) September 19, 2014
"Mayor Philip Levine unveiled one of several new water pumping stations designed to keep Miami Beach dry for years to come and to be ready for the threat of sea level rise associated with climate change," according to the City Of Miami Beach TV, in the video segment discussing rising sea levels and King Tides.
Share your story in the comments below. Have you ever experienced King Tides in Miami Beach or elsewhere?
