City of St. Augustine prepares for possible king tides flooding

Seasonal “king tides” have recently impacted communities in St. Augustine.

These above-average tides cause road flooding in low-lying areas. Last month, the seasonal king tides, coupled with nor’easter conditions, worsened localized road flooding.

The next projected seasonal king tide event begins Friday and continues through Thursday. The tides will be higher and lower than usual, and the wind conditions are projected to be 8-10 mph.

Officials from the City of St. Augustine say it’s unlikely to cause the extensive road flooding seen in September.

The city is currently working on a “tide check valve” project that will minimize the extent of this seasonal flooding.

These “tide check valves” or “backflow preventer valves” are designed to prevent tide water from entering the stormwater system and creating road flooding conditions.

The current project (located in Davis Shores) received cost share funding from the St. Johns River Water Management District, beginning Oct. 1.

The city has already ordered the first set of valves and the stormwater crew will be installing these as they arrive.

Based on the current project schedule, the city will have all of the Davis Shores outfalls (a total of 21) installed with these tide check valves by the end of January. As of Oct. 30, the city had installed six valves.

View the King Tide Advisory for more information.

Cox Media Group