Flooding closed roads and swallowed beaches as high tides combined with elevated ocean levels on both coasts.<\/p>\n
Published Oct 28, 2026 4:17 PM EDT\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t|<\/p>\n
Updated Oct 28, 2026 5:13 PM EDT\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\tPeople who have lived in Fort Lauderdale for decades say the flooding from king tides this week is the worst they\u2019ve ever seen, including hurricanes and tropical storms.\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\tExceptionally high king tides flooded roads, submerged beaches and set water-level records in coastal communities in Florida and California this week as October\u2019s Hunter\u2019s moon<\/a> added to the flooding threat.\n<\/p>\n \n\tResidents in some coastal neighborhoods faced repeated flooding over several days, with some left stranded during high tide. Social media videos showed people using kayaks, paddleboards and small boats to navigate flooded streets.\n<\/p>\n \n\tIn an aerial view, people paddle board in coastal floodwaters during high tide flooding along the closed Pacific Coast Highway in the Sunset Beach community on October 27, 2026 in Huntington Beach, California. (Photo by Mario Tama\/Getty Images)\n<\/p>\n \n\tIn Florida, Lake Worth Pier and the South Port Everglades recorded their highest tides on record. California\u2019s coastline near Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Barbara all had record high tides on Oct. 27, when king tide impacts peaked.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \n\tRecord high tides in Florida and California following the Oct. 26, 2026, king tide event.\n<\/p>\n \n\tIn Fort Lauderdale, police closed Las Olas Boulevard for a second consecutive day Wednesday. AccuWeather Reporter Leslie Hudson was in South Florida, where residents compared the flooding to what they experienced during Hurricane Wilma in 2005.\n<\/p>\n \n\tFort Lauderdale Chief Resilience Officer Nancy Gassman said water levels rose about 6 inches higher than during previous king tides, reaching parts of the city that had not previously flooded.\n<\/p>\n \n\tTraffic navigates through flooded roadway lanes along East Ocean Avenue in Boynton Beach, Florida, on October 26, 2026. High seasonal tides combined with elevated sea levels pushed saltwater through coastal drainage systems, inundating roads, slowing commuter traffic, and creating travel hazards across eastern Palm Beach County. (Photo by Christopher Beckett\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\n<\/p>\n \n\tFlooding along the southeastern Atlantic coast will gradually ease into the weekend as astronomical high tides become less extreme and onshore winds weaken, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson. However, minor coastal flooding could linger into next week, with rough surf and strong rip currents remaining concerns, especially along Florida\u2019s east coast.\n<\/p>\n \n\tAlong California\u2019s coast, floodwaters covered parts of the Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach, and waves reached doorsteps in San Diego beginning Monday.\n<\/p>\n \n\tPreliminary observations showed record water levels at tide gauges in San Pedro, La Jolla and Santa Barbara during this week\u2019s high tides. At San Pedro, the gauge reached 8.18 feet Tuesday, Oct. 27, surpassing a record set just a day earlier. Those measurements describe water levels relative to a tidal reference point, not flood depths on land.\n<\/p>\n \n\tDrone video from AccuWeather Storm Chaser Aaron Rigsby showed homes perched near cliff edges in Pacifica, south of San Francisco, with waves washing against the rocks below.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\tDay after day, tidal flooding is affecting the coast of Southern California.\n\t<\/p>\n \n\tA coastal flood advisory remained in effect through 6 p.m. PDT Saturday for shoreline areas around San Pablo Bay, San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay.\n<\/p>\n \n\tKing tide is an informal term for exceptionally high tides. Higher tides occur around both full and new moons, when the sun, Earth and moon align. The moon\u2019s distance from Earth and seasonal conditions can further influence their height. The most recent full moon took place on Sunday, Oct. 25.\n<\/p>\n \n\tIn California, the astronomical tides are combining with already elevated ocean levels associated with El Ni\u00f1o and a Kelvin wave<\/a> spreading along the coast.\n<\/p>\n \n\tHigh tide floods businesses and homes along Pacific Coast Highway at Sunset Beach, Huntington Beach, CA on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026. (Robert Gauthier\/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\n<\/p>\n \n\tAccuWeather International Forecast Expert Jason Nicholls said the Kelvin wave continued to spread, with sea levels running at least 12 inches above normal along much of California by Oct. 27.\n<\/p>\n \n\tA Kelvin wave is a broad ocean disturbance that can raise coastal water levels over an extended period. That higher starting point allows high tides and waves to reach farther inland, increasing the risk of flooding and erosion.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\tMore Coastal Flooding Coverage:\n\t<\/p>\n