Friday, May 26, 2017

'King Tides' May Cause Flooding Problems for Hawaii

Alex Blumer
Published: May 26,2017

Hawaii's shorelines are in danger of flooding over the weekend due to record-level "king tides."
The National Weather Service in Honolulu warned of coastal flooding and erosion over the holiday weekend. The beaches most at risk are those along the south shore, such as Oahu's Waikiki.
King tides, as the highest tides of the year are known, are expected to cause peak water levels in Honolulu Friday and Saturday evenings.
"Surf will build along south-facing shores, which, combined with the king tides period, will result in impacts to beaches, shorelines, docks and low-lying roads and structures, including areas that normally remain dry," said weather.com meteorologist Linda Lam.
(MORE: Hawaii Had Snowier Start to 2017 Than Chicago or Denver)
As trade winds likely weaken over the weekend, surf along east-facing shores will also trend downward, although coastal flooding impacts are still expected, said Lam.
The NWS also warned very strong breaking waves and rip currents are expected, as an ocean swell is likely to build Friday and continue through Memorial Day. A high surf advisory for south-facing shores went into effect Friday at 6 a.m. and will continue through Saturday night.
The last time Hawaii experienced a similar tide was on the last weekend of April, when Honolulu reported its highest tide on record.
MORE: Photos of Hawaii Beach Sunsets

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

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