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High tides are flooding coastal communities even on sunny days

The tide is high and coastal communities are holding on as the sea bubbles forth from storm drains and onto their streets.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration defines high tide flooding as when tides reach 1.75 to 2 feet above the daily tidal average and start spilling into low-lying areas via streets or drains.

In addition, these “sunny day” floods are happening without a storm exacerbating water levels.

Compared to 2021, two NOAA water level stations stand out in enduring high tide flooding.

Reedy Point, Delaware had six high tide floods this year, one more than in 2021, while Myrtle Beach, South Carolina tied its 2021 record of 11 high tide floods.