Both coasts of the United States have been hit by severe flooding that has caused dangerous conditions and serious damage. The record-setting circumstances have also left residents facing ongoing issues with concerning weather and the resulting devastation.
On Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2026, ABC News reported that “[k]ing tides have inundated parts of both U.S. coasts, flooding streets and sending seawater into homes and businesses in beach communities in California, Florida and the Carolinas.”
King Tides Are Leading To Serious Damage
Record flooding in Florida, California and other coastal states have “closed roads and swallowed beaches” due to “high tides combined with elevated ocean levels,” according to AccuWeather. On top of that, “October’s Hunter’s moon added to the flooding threat.”
“Residents in some coastal neighborhoods faced repeated flooding over several days, with some left stranded during high tide” AccuWeather reported, adding that “[s]ocial media videos showed people using kayaks, paddleboards and small boats to navigate flooded streets.”
In South Florida, residents told AccuWeather Reporter Leslie Hudson that the flooding that’s being experienced by the community this week is similar to what happened in the area during 2005’s Hurricane Wilma. Beyond that, Fort Lauderdale Chief Resilience Officer Nancy Gassman mentioned that the flooding is around 6 inches higher than when past king tides affected the city, which has resulted in water making its way to locations that were previously spared.
The flooding is expected to lessen as the weekend begins with some issues remaining into next week as the record-setting high tides ease and problematic winds start to lose strength.
However, similar issues are expected to happen again when the new moon occurs two weeks from now as well as during the coming winter due to weather related to El Niño. Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center, told Central Oregon Daily News, “We’ve already seen that in some of the forecasts out a week from now.”
As it stands, the highest tides on record were noted in Florida’s Lake Worth Pier and South Port Everglades during the current flooding, while coastlines in the area of Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Barbara were hit with king tides resulting in record-setting high tides.
What Are King Tides?
The flooding that is currently leading to damage on the coasts were caused, in part, by “tides [that] began with the full moon earlier this week,” according to ABC News. Known as king tides, they “are caused by the gravitational pull and alignments of the Earth, moon, and sun.” These tides “can occur several times a year and last several days.”
The National Ocean Service explains that the name “King Tide is a non-scientific term people often use to describe exceptionally high tides.” Although tides are a normal occurrence, “[h]igher than normal tides typically occur during a new or full moon and when the Moon is at its perigee, or during specific seasons around the country.”
US Coasts Suffer Record Flooding and King Tides That ‘Swallowed Beaches’