King tide, Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale
King tides - the year's highest tides - occur annually at full moon; typically September, October and November. They very much contributed to the devastation wreaked by Sandy - technically no longer a hurricane by the time it reached New York and New Jersey - October, 2012. Sandy's damage to the US east coast was caused overwhelmingly by an already swollen ocean's tidal surges, not wind.
Sandy devastated Jamaica and Cuba; hit Haiti and Puerto Rico hard; less organized through the Bahamas. 36 hours before Sandy reorganized and hit NY/NJ, it passed 75+ miles off Florida at king tide. Resulting tidal surges took out two of A1A's four lanes and a huge stretch of beach.
A1A, Fort Lauderdale, January 1, 2013
Even a weakened, offshore Sandy at king tide caused the engorged sea to fill up canals as not seen before. King tides are the planet's coal mine canaries; canaries 'r dying.
South Florida's 2015 King Tides
Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale)
Mon, Sep 28 ... 8:57a ... 9:16p
Tue, Oct 27 ... 8:39a ... 8:53p
Wed, Nov 25 ... 7:23a ... 7:34p
Miami Beach
Mon, Sep 28 ... 8:53a ... 9:12p
Tue, Oct 27 ... 8:36a ... 8:50p
Wed, Nov 25 ... 7:20a ... 7:30p
The sea comes up storm drains.
Las Olas Blvd
Any combination of blocking storm drains, higher sea walls (above; note water on both sides) &/or industrial pumps will ultimately prove useless against Florida's porous sand and coral limestone geology. Given its geology, how soon is ground flooding further inland?
The Keys' fate is sealed: Key West International Airport now floods regularly.
"In the end, we are going under," said Alison Higgins, sustainability coordinator for Key West. "But if there are things we can do to extend the quality of life for 20 or 30 years or longer than what they would be otherwise, then it is crucial we do that."
"Many of the officials here speak with a certain inevitability -- a recognition that their role may be to prolong the quality of life in the Keys for as long as possible, rather than save them entirely. Florida's unique, porous geology generally forbids the idea of building levees or protective sea walls such as those in New Orleans or the Netherlands."
Climate change, global warming... call it what you will. Coastal Florida, irrefutably, is in a state of early, increasing submersion. Florida is essentially flat. When the sea rises to a certain level, it won't matter how far inland you are.
Sunny days, king tides, different years, Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale
This pictured section of Las Olas Blvd, between its shopping district and the Intracoastal, provides sole access to some of the US' priciest waterfront properties; mega-yachts docked out back. It floods regularly, demonstrating - now -
the effect that the rising sea will have on real estate in particular, the economy in general. (It's widely rumored that the real estate industry has been instrumental in keeping this kind of coverage out of the news.)
To be certain, there are efforts underway to address this irrefutable imminent ecological catastrophe. But not surprisingly, Florida's highest profile Republicans - Rick Scott, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio - are climate change deniers. In fact, Governor Scott banned "climate change" from official State business and communications. (North Carolina, Tennessee and, of all places, Louisiana have taken such bans further still.)
King tides: proof positive of times to come.
Links, images.
South Florida's Rising Seas (Documentary) - WPBT2
Rising Sea Levels Are Already Making Miami's Floods Worse - Wired
Annual High Tide in Miami Beach Offer Scientists Glimpse Into Future - Miami Herald
Return of the King Tide: Miami Beach Braces for Tidal Flooding
Miami Finds Itself Ankle-Deep in Climate Change Debate - N.Y. Times
Climate Change Worsens Coastal Flooding From High Tides - NPR
High Tide Causes Street Flooding in Portions of Miami Beach, Broward - NBC Miami
Miami's 'King Tide' Expected to Peak Thursday, Flooding Parts of Miami Beach - weather.com
Miami Beach Prepares for Annual 'King Tide' Flooding and a Taste of Future Sea Level Rise - Reuters
What South Florida's Spring Tide (or King Tide) Looks Like - WLRN
King Tide Day 2014 - eyesontherise.com
Study: Miami Beach Will Experience 45 Floods A Year By 2030, 260 By 2045 - Miami New Times
Flooded Roads Inspire South Florida Cities to Join Forces - nextcity.org
Miami 'ground zero' for flooding, needs major infrastructure changes, study says - South Florida Business Journal
Full Moon Tides Cause More Miami Beach Flooding - local10.com
Flooding Overtakes South Florida Streets - CBS Miami
Against the Tide - Fort Lauderdale Magazine
Rising Seas: Inching Toward Disaster - Sun-Sentinel
Miami Will Likely Be Underwater Before Congress Acts On Climate Change - National Journal
Why Miami is Mostly Unprotected From Hurricanes - CNBC
NASA: Rising Sea Levels More Dangerous Than Thought - Yahoo News
Bikini Islanders Flee Rising Sea - Solomon Star
Sierra Leone News: Bonthe Island Sinking - Awoko
Erosion, Salt Water Decimate Homes - Viet Nam News
Rising Sea Level Threatens Maldives - nmtv.tv
King Tide, The Sinking of Tuvalu - documentary trailer
Bangladesh Sea Level Rise, Crops Ruined - AlJazeera
Kiribati: The World's Next Atlantis? - CNN
Beltway View: Climate Change Report Warns Florida - Florida Today
Sea Rise, Fla. GOP Leaders Balk at Climate Change - AP
Climate Change Will Force Us To Abandon Coastal Cities. We'd Better Start Preparing Right Now - New Republic
You Know All That Scary Talk About Sea Levels Rising That Seems Like A Bunch of B.S.? Well... - Upworthy
Rubio's Wrong on Climate Change - Time
Report: Florida Especially Vulnerable If Climate Change Unchecked - Palm Beach Post
Climate Change Comes to the Caribbean - The Nation
The Flood Next Time - NY Times
Spared Winter Freeze, Florida's Mangroves Are Marching North - NY Times
On Climate Change, Florida's Been Warned ("Oh, You're Going To Be Underwater") - Tampa Bay Times
Sea-Level Rise Taking The Pines Out Of Big Pines Key - WLRN
Rising Seas Haven't Hurt Property Values - Yet - Sun Sentinel
How Climate Change Will Affect the Southeast USA - Observer & Eccentric
Cost of Flood Insurance Rises, Along With Worries - NY Times
Indian River Lagoon (2013) - YouTube
South Florida Assessing Climate Change Impact On Roads, Bridges, Railroads, Airports - HuffPost Miami
Rebuilding the Shores, Increasing the Risks - NY Times
We Need to Retreat From the Beach - NY Times
Rising Sea Levels Could Hit Miami Hard - CNN
As Coasts Rebuild and U.S. Pays, Repeatedly, the Critics Ask Why - NY Times
The Search For Sand How To Trap, Truck or Protect Sand - Sun-Sentinel
Sea Level Rises Will Be Much Worse... Daily Mail
Climate Change? Florida Keys Prepare For Sea Level Rise Over The Next 50 Years - ABC Tampa
Goodbye, Miami - Rolling Stone
Inundated by Global Warming - Slate
9 Faith Quotes on Climate Change - United Nations Foundation
'Florida King Tide' YouTube Videos
Florida - Uncyclopedia (humor)
Waterworld (trailer)