King tides are flooding streets across South Florida again, and the National Weather Service in Miami has extended its coastal flood statement for coastal Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties through Sunday evening.
Friday was the 12th day of king tide flooding in the region since October 26. Saltwater pushed over seawalls and up through storm drains in Miami, Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale, flooding Collins Avenue in Miami Beach and the Edgewater neighborhood in Miami. In Fort Lauderdale, the Las Olas Bridge was closed and cars were stranded on Riviera Isle Drive.
The Virginia Key tide gauge in Biscayne Bay recorded water 3.65 feet above mean lower low water at 6:42 a.m. Friday, about 0.9 feet above the predicted tide, according to preliminary readings from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The remaining high tides in this king tide window fall at 7:14 a.m. and 7:22 p.m. Saturday, 7:59 a.m. and 8:05 p.m. Sunday, and 8:42 a.m. and 8:46 p.m. Monday.
The flooding follows a record-setting stretch in late October. On Tuesday, October 27, the Virginia Key gauge recorded its highest water level outside a hurricane since the gauge was installed in 1994, and the region saw 11 consecutive days of moderate coastal flooding from October 26 through November 1. Miami has already recorded 15 moderate flood days in 2026, surpassing its previous annual record of 10.
King tides occur when the moon is closest to Earth and lines up with the sun, pulling tides higher than normal. In South Florida, the effect is amplified because the region sits on porous limestone, so seawater seeps under seawalls and storm drains run backward, bringing the ocean into the streets even on sunny days. Persistent northeast winds have pushed water further above the tide tables this week.
Miami Beach is running temporary pump stations in its lowest neighborhoods, and the city publishes a king tide schedule for residents. The next king tide cycle after this weekend is expected November 23 to 26.
