King tides run Thursday, Nov. 5, to Wednesday, Nov. 11, with peaks near 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on the weekend. The forecast tide is lower than October's, but wind could add a foot.
Fort Lauderdale’s next round of king tides starts Thursday and runs through Wednesday, Nov. 11. The city expects some roads to flood around each high tide.
The city published the dates and peak times Monday in its higher tides notice. It said wind, currents, sea level rise and rain near a peak tide can all make tidal flooding and road ponding worse.
The streets have barely dried out from the last round. The Oct. 24-31 king tides pushed the Middle River gauge to 2.83 feet, past major flood stage, as we reported in our king tides coverage. This week’s rain added to it: a coastal flood advisory for coastal Broward County runs until 7 p.m. Tuesday.
When the tides peak
These are the city’s peak times. Water is highest for about an hour either side.
| Day | Morning peak | Evening peak |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Nov. 5 | 5 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. |
| Friday, Nov. 6 | 6 a.m. | 6 p.m. |
| Saturday, Nov. 7 | 6:45 a.m. | 6:45 p.m. |
| Sunday, Nov. 8 | 7:15 a.m. | 7:30 p.m. |
| Monday, Nov. 9 | 8 a.m. | 8 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Nov. 10 | 8:45 a.m. | 8:45 p.m. |
| Wednesday, Nov. 11 | 9:15 a.m. | 9:15 p.m. |
The morning tides are the higher ones. NOAA’s tide predictions for Port Everglades put the highest of the week at 7:23 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, at 0.66 feet above mean higher high water. The new moon falls Monday, Nov. 9.
Lower on paper than October
The predicted tide this week is lower than last time. NOAA’s top prediction for the October round was 0.95 feet at 9:40 a.m. Oct. 27, about 0.3 feet higher than this week’s peak.
Those predictions cover the moon and sun only. They leave out the wind, and the wind has been doing a lot of the work. At 2:30 p.m. Monday the Port Everglades gauge read 1.38 feet. NOAA had predicted 0.35 feet for that tide, so the water ran about a foot higher than forecast.
Inland, Monday afternoon’s high tide again reached flood levels on the Middle River and New River gauges. Readings are preliminary:
- Middle River at Sunrise Boulevard: 1.82 feet at 2:54 p.m., moderate flood stage
- New River at the Riverwalk: 1.70 feet at 2:54 p.m., the start of moderate flood stage
- South Fork New River near Secret Woods Nature Center: 1.66 feet at 3:24 p.m., minor flood stage
Minor flooding starts at 1.3 feet at those gauges and moderate flooding at 1.7 feet.
The National Weather Service in Miami said in its forecast discussion Monday that water levels would climb back toward moderate flood stage as the new moon nears. It said it hoped the strong onshore wind would ease by midweek, just as the tides start to rise again. Whether it does will decide how much water reaches the streets this weekend.
What it means for you
- Plan around the morning peaks. From Saturday to Monday the high tide lands in the 6:45 to 8 a.m. commute and school run.
- Do not drive through standing water. The city said road closures are possible. Drive slowly where water is on the road, so your wake does not push it toward homes and businesses.
- Protect your property if passing traffic usually sends water your way. The city suggested sandbags at entry points and moving valuables off the floor.
- Bring trash carts in if your street floods. The city asked residents not to leave them at the curb, and to secure them soon after pickup. Pickup days are on our trash and recycling page.
- Report an impassable road to the Customer Support Center at 954-828-8000 or through FixIt FTL, on the web or the app.
- Going out Saturday night? Two Day of the Dead events close streets downtown on Nov. 7, near the evening high tide at 6:45 p.m. Our things to do this month page has the details.
The city keeps its tide calendar at fortlauderdale.gov/kingtides. Planned closures are on our road construction and closures page, and the hurricane prep guide covers flood zones and flood insurance.
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