King Tides Are Coming and May Flood the Bay Area

A few times a year, the tides get higher. The Winter 2024 King Tides are around the corner, and they might just be the biggest yet. 

When Are King Tides Coming?

Because of climate change and the fact that we live next to a helluva lot of water, the Bay Area at large is vulnerable to high tides. The next full moon is November 15, and that’s when we can expect the year’s highest tides, called King Tides.

King tides follow the moon’s position. The ocean tides are highest during a new moon or a full moon, and they’re especially high when the moon is at perigee, or closest to Earth. But with climate change impacting the ocean levels, a predictable cycle is now a little less certain. According to the California King Tides Project, the flooding from these tides “[provides] a glimpse into future erosion and flooding as the planet continues to warm and sea level rise accelerates.”

That’s why NOAA is a great source for predictions.

NOAA King Tide Predictions At Risk

Unfortunately Trump’s Project 2025 includes gutting NOAA and the National Weather Service, forcing people to rely on paid services for weather and tide predictions instead of getting them through tax-funded and reliable government channels. 

But don’t feel hopeless. At the state level, California is working hard on climate resilience and they’re updating the California Coastal Commission’s Sea Level Rise Policy. According to Annie Kohut Frankel with the California King Tides Project, it “will be presented for adoption at the public agency’s November hearing in San Francisco. The guidance includes updates for new sea level rise science, environmental justice principles related to sea level rise and recent state law that requires local governments to incorporate sea level rise in coastal planning documents.”

How Do King Tides Affect You?

If you’re not into fishing, surfing, sailing, or pulling a Peskin and swimming in the Bay, you might not feel any direct effects from King Tides. But it could still affect you.

King Tides can cause flooding around the Embarcadero and in low-lying places in the Bayview and Hunter’s Point. Places like Marin County are already preparing for the seasonal tides. But most of us wouldn’t notice because a lot of the preparation happens quietly.

If you’re driving near the coast, never go through anything deeper than 6 inches of water because it could pull your vehicle away. And if there is flooding, please – for the love of God and the combined sewer system – do not go surfing or wading around in the water. Yuck!

The Dolphin Club has an informative page on how tides affect the Bay Area. One commenter said they work for CalTrans and use this info to help them understand how to perform aspects of marine-based maintenance on toll bridges. It’s funny how much the Bay Area depends on the waters around us, and most of us don’t even realize it!

Get Involved

If you want a fun musical field trip, try to check out the Wave Organ during King Tides because the music will be even more dramatic with the changes in the currents. 

Through the California King Tides Project, you can map your photos and participate in “citizen science” or the more inclusive “people-powered research.” It’s a fun way to get involved and better understand our delicate coastal environment. 

Frankel shares, “Photographing these extreme high tides brings attention to the impact of climate change and helps prepare for the future. The images are used by climate researchers, as well as local and state officials, to validate sea level rise models and assess local vulnerabilities to erosion and flooding.” This project is helping create a visual record of our changing coastlines.

For teachers, be sure to visit the King Tides Project’s website, where you’ll find local times for king tides , community events and resources for educators interested in teaching about climate change. The king tides photo upload form even includes instructions in both English and Spanish.

If you go out to photograph the event, remember to be mindful of coastal bird habitat. And never, ever turn your back on the ocean.