Updated October 29, 2026
Why these dates
A king tide is not a scientific term, according to NOAA. It is the name for the highest tides of the year, which happen when the moon is new or full and at the same time at its closest point to the Earth. Those dates can be predicted years ahead, which is why the city can publish them now.
What cannot be predicted months out is the weather. The October 27, 2026 tide was forecast to be the highest of the year back in January, but a low pressure system and 30 to 40 mph onshore wind pushed it to about 2.5 feet above high tide in both Fort Lauderdale and Miami. That is the National Weather Service's major flooding level.
What to do in the week before each window
Check the high tide times for your area each day of the window, using NOAA's predictions for Virginia Key or Port Everglades, since flooding peaks within an hour or two of high tide. Move cars off low streets before the peak. Get anything you care about off the garage floor. Clear leaves and debris from yard drains and make sure any backflow valve on your property closes. If water came into your house in October, keep the lowest part of the room clear of rugs, boxes and electronics until the window passes.
In Fort Lauderdale you can report impassable roads at 954-828-8000 or in the FixIt FTL app.
Related questions
Will the November king tides flood as badly as October?
Nobody can say yet, and anyone who gives you a number this far out is guessing. The astronomical part of the tide is known, and October 27 was predicted to be the highest of the year before the weather made it worse. What turned a high tide into a record was the wind and a low pressure system off the coast, which pushed water onshore. If a cold front or a nor'easter lines up with one of the November windows, the flooding can be just as bad or worse. If the wind blows offshore, it may barely reach the street. The practical answer is to treat each window as if it could match October. If your house took water then, protect the lowest part of each room and the garage, move your car before peak tide, and watch the forecast for wind and rain in the days before each window.
Why can't the city just pump the water out during a king tide?
Because the water has nowhere to go. Fort Lauderdale explained this during the October tide. Its stormwater pumps are built to move rainwater out of neighborhoods into the waterways. During a king tide, the waterways themselves are already at or above street level, so pumping into them does little, and saltwater keeps coming back in through the drains and over the seawalls until the tide starts to fall. In Miami Shores and on the Little River, the South Florida Water Management District's canal gates had the same problem on October 27, with water flowing backward over the barriers into the canals. The long-term fixes are higher seawalls, tidal valves that stop backflow, and bigger pumps and gates, and both the city and the district are working on those. In the short term, the only reliable protection is keeping water out of your own house and moving what you can above the flood line.
How long does a king tide last?
A king tide window runs from two days to about a week. The City of Fort Lauderdale lists the rest of 2026 that way: November 5 to 11, November 22 to 28, and December 24 to 25. Inside each window the flooding is not constant. It follows the high tide, which comes about twice a day, and low streets usually take on water for an hour or two around each high tide before it drains back out through the same storm drains it came up through. Wind changes that. On October 27, 2026, strong onshore wind kept pushing water in, and some streets in Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach stayed under water for hours. So treat the forecast tide times as a starting point, not a promise. You can check the predicted high tides for Virginia Key and Port Everglades on NOAA's site and plan around the highest ones.
Areas hit by the October tide
- King tide flood damage repair in Fort Lauderdale
- King tide flood damage repair in Hollywood
- King tide flood damage repair in Miami Beach
- King tide flood damage repair in Miami and Miami Shores
More questions
- What should I do after king tide water gets into my house?
- What is a flood cut, and how high should drywall be cut after a flood?
- How long does it take to dry out a house after a flood?
- How fast does mold grow after a flood, and how do I stop it?
- Does insurance cover king tide flooding?
- My garage flooded with saltwater. What do I do?
- Is it safe to stay in a house after flooding?
- How can I tell if my drywall has water damage after a flood?
- Are king tides getting worse in South Florida?
- Who do I call for water damage after a flood?
- How do I file a flood insurance claim after the king tide?
- Can water damaged kitchen cabinets be saved after a flood?
- Which flooring can be saved after a flood: tile, laminate, vinyl or wood?
Sources
- City of Fort Lauderdale, King Tides and High Tides
- NOAA National Ocean Service, What is a king tide?
- NOAA Tides and Currents, tide predictions for Virginia Key, FL
- Tampa Bay Times / Miami Herald, 'Highest king tide ever' swamps South Florida
- CBS Miami, King tide flooding in South Florida, multiple rounds of rising water
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