King Tides Flood Coastal Roads and Homes as Florida Sees Relief
WHO:
NBC News - Chris Fisher, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Miami, attributed Florida’s increased swells to weather patterns.
NBC News - Roger Gass, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Bay Area forecast office in Monterey, described Kelvin waves as pulses of warm water that lift sea level.
NBC News - Stacey Frederick, 38, who has lived in Huntington Beach for five years, said, “It floods a little bit, but never to this point.”
CBS News US - Carter Evans reported on the flooding; Rob Marciano provided the forecast.
WHAT:
NBC News - Officials shut down traffic on a flooded portion of the four-lane Pacific Coast Highway.
NBC News - Frederick photographed and recorded people walking in knee-deep water and paddleboarding on the Pacific Coast Highway.
The Washington Post - Extreme high tides compounded by warm ocean temperatures broke historic records along the California coast.
The Washington Post - The flooding offered a glimpse of what communities could expect with rising seas.
CBS News US - Extreme tides described as “King Tides” were affecting the Southern California coast.
CBS News US - Cars struggled to pass through rising floodwaters caused by king tides.
ABC News US - King tides inundated streets and flooded homes and businesses along both U.S. coasts.
NY Post - Parts of Florida experienced some of the worst coastal flooding of the ongoing fall King Tide event.
NY Post - Flood levels continued to surpass records set by several hurricanes.
NY Post - Gradual relief was expected in Florida as the King Tide event entered its final hours.
WHERE:
NBC News - The Pacific Coast Highway runs from Orange County through California; flooding forced a closure on a portion of the highway in Southern California.
The Washington Post - Low-lying areas of the California coast flooded.
CBS News US - Flooding affected Florida and California, as well as the East and West coasts.
ABC News US - Flooding affected parts of both U.S. coasts.
NY Post - Coastal flooding affected parts of Florida.
WHY:
NBC News - Strong high pressure to the north and low pressure over the Caribbean caused increased swells in Florida.
NBC News - The ongoing super El Niño warmed the ocean along California’s coast, increasing seawater volume; Kelvin waves also lifted sea level.
CBS News US - The flooding was caused by king tides.
NY Post - The coastal flooding occurred during an ongoing fall King Tide event.
(UPDATED October 29, 2026 13:03 UTC)
Record-breaking king tides flooded coastal communities along both U.S. coasts, inundating streets, homes, and businesses, with some Florida flood levels surpassing records set by hurricanes. In Southern California, floodwaters shut down part of Pacific Coast Highway, where people waded through knee-deep water and paddleboarded; the unusually warm ocean and Kelvin waves raised sea levels. In Florida, strong swells driven by pressure patterns worsened coastal flooding, though conditions were expected to gradually ease as the king tide event wound down.
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(UPDATED October 29, 2026 10:01 UTC)
King tides brought record-breaking coastal flooding to low-lying areas of California and parts of Florida, with streets inundated and homes and businesses flooded along both U.S. coasts. In California, unusually high tides combined with warm ocean temperatures, while flood levels in Florida surpassed records set by several hurricanes. Cars struggled through rising water, and the flooding offered a glimpse of risks communities may face as sea levels rise; conditions in Florida were expected to gradually ease as the tide event neared its end.
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(UPDATED October 29, 2026 02:02 UTC)
King tides flooded streets, homes, and businesses along both U.S. coasts, with cars struggling through rising water in Southern California and severe coastal flooding in Florida. In parts of Florida, water levels surpassed records set by several hurricanes. Flooding was expected to ease gradually as the King Tide event reached its final hours.
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(UPDATED October 29, 2026 01:15 UTC)
King tides flooded streets, homes, and businesses along both U.S. coasts, with cars struggling to pass through rising water. Parts of Florida saw some of the worst coastal flooding, with water levels surpassing records set by several hurricanes. Gradual relief was expected in Florida as the king tide event entered its final hours.