King tide flooding in South Florida has businesses, residents preparing for another onslaught of water
Residents and businesses along the South Florida coast from Fort Lauderdale to Miami were busy preparing for an onslaught of water due to king tides and strong winds, and Monday will be no different.
In fact, the king tide flooding in South Florida on Monday is likely to be worse than what we experienced over the weekend. And communities will be on high alert for additional flooding through at least Tuesday.
A CBS News Miami NEXT Weather Alert is now in effect due to the threat of moderate to major coastal flooding because of the king tides, strong onshore winds that are gusting up to 40 mph on the coast, and rounds of heavy downpours.
South Florida prepares for king tides
Communities up and down the South Florida coast, as well as in low-lying communities, spent the weekend preparing for the king tide flooding.
Businesses along Hollywood Beach were putting out sandbags to try and keep the water from rolling in, and some owners fear it's only going to get worse.
"Last time, which was a month ago, we had three feet with the full moon and without wind, and we got washed out," store owner Leo Geist said. "I think this is going to be a little bit more with the current and pressure of water."
And there's a warning for drivers – just because you think you can make it through standing water without stalling, it does not mean you car won't be impacted.
Standing water has salt in it, and that could damage your car.
High tide in Fort Lauderdale is at 9:33 a.m. and 9:40 p.m., and high tide in Miami is at 9:19 a.m. and 9:24 pm.
In Key West, high tide on Monday is at 11:05 a.m. and 10:23 p.m.
What is a king tide?
According to NOAA, a king tide is a non-scientific term that people often use to describe exceptionally high tides. Those higher than normal tides typically occur during a new moon or full moon, and when the Moon is at its perigee, which is when it's closest to the Earth.
King tides also occur during specific seasons across the U.S.