Fort Lauderdale official tours hardest-hit king tide areas as water runs 6 inches higher than ever before

Severe king tide flooding is covering street after street across several Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods, trapping residents in their homes and raising water levels by six inches above previous king tides.

In her east Fort Lauderdale neighborhood south of Sunrise Boulevard, Barbara Johnson found herself unable to walk out of her front door due to the rising waters.

"Never to the point where I can't go for food or to the doctor. It's difficult for everyone," Johnson said. She noted that she is learning to adapt, adding, "The city is doing what they can do. Nature is nature".

On Wednesday, resident king tide expert Dr. Nancy Gassman led a tour of the hardest-hit areas alongside city employees working to understand the ongoing municipal challenges. Gassman highlighted that higher tides are impacting new locations, including the Himarshee district near downtown and Mayan Drive near the beach.

"The number of tides has gone up, and the maximum height has gone up," Gassman said. "In the last few days, we are 6 inches higher than the previous king tides".

Near the beach, flooding has surrounded the Church by the Sea. Visitors Cory and Jared, who arrived in town for the boat show, were unable to access their home.

"It's shocking; we don't have boots," they said.

To mitigate flooding, Fort Lauderdale has raised miles of seawalls, installed tidal valves to prevent backflow, and is investing millions more in flood-prevention infrastructure.

Parks and Recreation Director Carl Williams noted that observing the physical impact of the king tides firsthand informs smarter municipal design. He pointed to "changes we can make on landscaping and open spaces" as he plans for future developments.