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Supermoon affecting high tides, causing flooding in Jacksonville Beach

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Parts of Northeast Florida are under a coastal flood advisory, in part because of the supermoon.

We've seen supermoons before, but on Monday morning, the moon will be the closest it's been in 68 years and won't be this close again until 2034.

While it will be quite a sight to see, you might see some problems. Several roads in Jacksonville Beach are experiencing some flooding, including downtown St. Augustine.

"As it gets closer to Earth, the moon affects the ocean and it moves the ocean, and (as) it gets closer to Earth, it can create higher tides than normal," said Chickie Dimain, official surf forecaster at United Surfing Federation.

RELATED: How to take the best photos of Monday's supermoon

Dimain said as the moon moves further away from the Earth, the tides will start to return back to a normal stage.

It will be the closest a full moon has been to Earth since 1948. That means the moon will appear 14 percent bigger, and 30 percent brighter than the average moon. While the full moon is about 236,790 miles from Earth, Monday's moon will be 221,790 miles away; that's 15,265 miles closer to Earth.

Dimain said the distance between Earth and its moon changes because the moon's orbit is not a perfect circle.

"The moon doesn't travel in a complete circle, it's kind of like an egg, oval in shape. As it starts to do its cycle, there are points where it becomes closer to Earth as it rotates," he says.

Scientists say the next time there will be another supermoon in 2034, about another 18 years.

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The Supermoon is here! On Monday morning, the moon will be the closest it's been in 68 years and won't be this close again until 2034: http://bit.ly/2fQ36Vh

Posted by Action News Jax on Sunday, November 13, 2016

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