AccuWeather's Leslie Hudson was live in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, with the latest on how the king tides have been causing a royal mess across the Southeast this week.
00:00AccuWeather's Leslie Hudson is live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this morning with the latest.
00:06Good morning, Leslie. You look lovely as always, doesn't she?
00:10She does. She's glowing. Yes.
00:13Wow. Well, I'll take that, you guys, on like three hours of sleep will do.
00:18You know, the king tides have been creating a royal mess all across the southeast this week.
00:24No more truer here than in Fort Lauderdale.
00:27So things are moving behind me. I am in what's called the Victoria Park neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale.
00:33This area, just about 12 hours ago, saw three feet of standing water, and the high tide is about another 90 minutes from now.
00:42So we are anticipating a good amount of water in this area as we get towards that high tide cycle.
00:48The king tides, of course, producing very vulnerable conditions, not only here in Florida, but all along the Atlantic coast.
00:55That's all thanks to the higher-than-normal high tides, and those are expected to be a problem for the rest of this week.
01:02And that is also causing some big headaches for folks that are trying to keep the water out of their homes, out of this neighborhood, which was not the case yesterday.
01:11Now, the king tides are seasonal. We know that.
01:13But the full mood amplifies that tide, and it makes the water surge further inland and even higher.
01:21During king tides, residents can expect elevated water higher than the average tide.
01:25They can also last for an hour and a half to two hours before and after each high tide cycle, often being more dramatic in the morning.
01:33So, again, we'll see how this plays out in the next 90 minutes or so.
01:36King tides are predictable, but timing and peak heights vary from location.
01:40AccuWeather meteorologists say the highest astronomical tides this fall will cluster in these multi-day windows.
01:46We are expecting that here at least through Friday.
01:49As groundwater levels creep upward and traditional drain systems become overwhelmed,
01:54the Florida Department of Transportation is working on new climate-resilient infrastructure projects designed to protect one of the region's busiest coastal areas here in South Florida.
02:04We really started to see an uptick in king tides over the last 10 years.
02:11So, we've had more king tides and they've become higher.
02:14So, I think our residents are accustomed to that.
02:16They're accustomed to our communications.
02:18And it's just so important to be aware.
02:22We do have areas in the city where we have done projects like actually elevated roads and added in stormwater systems and new seawalls.
02:29So, here in Fort Lauderdale, which is just up the road from Miami Beach, they also have pumps going.
02:39They also have a nearly $40 million restoration project going on in the county of Broward,
02:46trying to increase those seawalls, use those pumps to help get that water out.
02:50And some tips if you'll be in any of these areas, it's not just here in Florida, but all the way up into those Carolinas,
02:56you want to try and check those high tides because, again, the lowest-lying areas in any of those coastal communities will likely see these king tides through Friday.
03:06You want to avoid driving through that saltwater.
03:08You've got to remember, this is not freshwater, so you can get some corrosive damage to your car.
03:13Also, it is not clean.
03:14The officials here have told us if you're going to be walking your dog or you're going to do running,
03:19lots of people jog here in South Florida this time of the day.
03:22Make sure you stay out of that water.
03:24It is not the cleanest stuff.
03:26And make sure that you avoid trash recycle bins as well because those are floating debris.
03:32And they're also trying to clear those yard drains as well, you guys.
03:35South Florida, as well as other parts of the area, are expecting these king tides with these higher seawalls,
03:41hopefully getting ready to mitigate some of those problems.
03:44There is a big project, like I mentioned, here in the Fort Lauderdale area, but it is not expected to be completed until 2028.
03:51So, still an ongoing issue with these king tides all along the southeast.
03:55We'll see these waters rising here very soon in the next 90 minutes or so.
03:59Reporting live from Fort Lauderdale, I'm Leslie Hudson.
04:02Back to you.
04:02Now, about 10.03 high tide at Fort Lauderdale.
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