FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — With the harvest moon comes high tides.
Local 10 News was in Fort Lauderdale’s Victoria Park neighborhood Tuesday morning where little trickles of water were seen going over the sea wall around 8 a.m.
About 45 minutes later, a steady stream was flowing, and then within minutes, water was gushing onto the road.
In some areas, we saw nearly a foot of water.
One woman visiting her mother said this is the worst flooding she’s ever seen.
And it’s not just there. Areas around Broward County are seeing the effects, including in Hollywood.
“And literally you’re trapped here. We can’t come or go,” longtime Fort Lauderdale resident Lynette Coleman said.
Coleman said she’s had to rewrite her entire life around these king tides, canceling doctors’ appointments, and even quitting her job because driving out of her neighborhood has become a gamble.
“And you don’t know until the next day you come out, saying ‘Oh my gosh, what is this?’” Coleman said.
The Florida Department of Transportation has stepped in with a $34 million construction project, installing seawalls, stormwater pumps and overhauling drainage systems throughout Broward County, but that project isn’t expected to be completed until 2028.
“I am a native of South Florida,” Coleman said. “This is driving me out of South Florida, driving me out of my own hometown.”
South Florida’s annual king tides will last through December.
Seasonally, king tides are the highest astronomical tides that line up with full and new moons.
“King tide” is the popular name for perigean spring tides — the extra-high high tides that occur when full and new moons align with the Moon’s closest approach to Earth. On top of the astronomical setup, onshore wind and low pressure can add a few inches to a foot or more, turning high water into nuisance flooding on vulnerable blocks.
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