The Lake Worth tide gauge peaked at 2.71 feet Tuesday, past major flood stage. The coastal flood advisory now runs to 7 p.m. Monday, rip currents through Tuesday.
This week’s king tides pushed water past major flood stage on Tuesday and Wednesday. The flooding is not over yet.
Updated Nov. 1, evening: The weather service extended the coastal flood advisory once more, to 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, still for moderate flooding. The high surf advisory (waves of 5 to 7 feet) ends 7 a.m. Monday, and the high rip current risk now runs through Tuesday evening. The Lake Worth gauge peaked at 1.63 feet at 12:48 p.m. Sunday, just under moderate. Separately, heavy rain brought a flash flood warning Sunday evening.
Updated Nov. 1: The weather service extended the coastal flood advisory again, to 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, and still expects moderate flooding around high tide. It added a high surf advisory for breaking waves of 5 to 8 feet until 7 a.m. Monday, and the high rip current risk now runs through Monday morning. The Lake Worth gauge peaked at 2.16 feet Friday and 1.81 feet Saturday, both in the moderate range. Sunday’s daytime high tide at the Port of West Palm Beach is predicted for 1:17 p.m.
The National Weather Service in Miami has extended its coastal flood advisory for coastal Palm Beach County to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. It still expects moderate coastal flooding around high tide. A high rip current risk on the county’s beaches runs through Sunday evening.
What the gauge recorded
The weather service’s Atlantic Ocean tide gauge at Lake Worth, about seven miles south of downtown, is the one it uses to judge flooding on this stretch of coast. On its scale, moderate flooding starts at 1.7 feet above the normal high-tide line and major flooding at 2.5 feet.
The gauge’s highest readings this week were:
| Day | Highest reading | Time | Weather service category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, Oct. 25 | 2.19 feet | 7:48 a.m. | Moderate |
| Monday, Oct. 26 | 2.31 feet | 8:36 a.m. | Moderate |
| Tuesday, Oct. 27 | 2.71 feet | 9:24 a.m. | Major |
| Wednesday, Oct. 28 | 2.67 feet | 10:12 a.m. | Major |
| Thursday, Oct. 29 | 2.31 feet | 11:06 a.m. | Moderate |
| Friday, Oct. 30 | 2.16 feet | noon | Moderate |
| Saturday, Oct. 31 | 1.81 feet | 12:48 p.m. | Moderate |
| Sunday, Nov. 1 | 1.63 feet | 12:48 p.m. | Below moderate |
Tuesday’s 2.71 feet was the highest reading of the past month. From Oct. 1 to Oct. 21, the gauge never went above 1.59 feet.
The gauge read 1.74 feet on Oct. 22, 1.69 feet on Oct. 23 and 1.89 feet on Oct. 24, all in the moderate range.
How the alerts changed
The weather service’s coastal hazard messages show the sequence:
- Sunday, Oct. 25: a coastal flood warning was issued for 2 a.m. Monday to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
- Monday, Oct. 26: the warning was extended to 8 p.m. Wednesday.
- Wednesday, Oct. 28: the warning ended at 8 p.m. and a coastal flood advisory took over until 8 p.m. Thursday.
- Thursday, Oct. 29: the advisory was extended to 8 p.m. Friday.
- Friday, Oct. 30: the advisory was extended again, to 8 p.m. Saturday.
- Saturday, Oct. 31: the advisory was extended to 7 p.m. Sunday, and a high surf advisory was added until 7 a.m. Monday.
A warning means flooding is happening or about to happen. An advisory is for a lesser hazard. The weather service’s 3:19 a.m. Friday message still forecasts “flooding of lots, parks, and roads with only isolated road closures expected.”
Tides for the weekend
NOAA’s tide predictions for the Port of West Palm Beach (station 8722588) put the daytime high tides at:
- 12:16 p.m. Friday
- 1:14 p.m. Saturday
- 1:17 p.m. Sunday
Saturday’s low tide is predicted for 7:33 p.m., the evening of Halloween.
What it means for you
- Avoid low roads by the water around midday high tide through Saturday. Do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth, the weather service said.
- Trick-or-treating Saturday evening falls after the advisory’s afternoon high tide. The city has set no official trick-or-treat hours; our trick-or-treat hours page has the events, and our road closures page lists the El Cid and East Lakewood Halloween street closures.
- At the beach, swim near a lifeguard. The high rip current risk runs through Tuesday evening, the weather service said.
- Report flooding on a city street through the city hotline, 561-822-2222.
Background: our king tides page has the season’s remaining dates, and our Oct. 25 report on the flood warning has what to do before a high tide.
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