What Is King Tide? Causes, Effects Of The Highest Tide Of The Year

The king tide is one of the highest tides of the season and it is set to sweep past multiple cities in Connecticut, Thursday night, causing "widespread minor to moderate flooding."

The areas which are expected to be affected are Fairfield and New Haven in Connecticut. The highest tide are expected to hit the flood-prone areas of Conneticut on Thursday at 11:45 p.m. EDT. Another one is expected to follow around 12:45 a.m. EDT, Friday, according to CT Post.

The highest tide is estimated to be between 1 and 1.5 feet higher than the average tides. Another factor that could be significantly influencing the height of the king tide this year would be the incoming Easterly winds which may fluctuate between 15 and 30 knots starting Thursday and continuing through Friday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Another factor which has been gradually influencing the height of tides is the rising sea level globally. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, factors that have contributed to the steady rise of sea level over the years are global warming and the depleting ice caps and glaciers in the poles. The last recorded spike was in 2014 when the global sea level was 2.6 inches above the sea level recorded in 1993.

King tides occur once annually when the Earth, Moon and Sun are aligned at perigee, which is the point when the Moon is closest to the Earth. “King tide” is not a scientifically recognized term and simply used to refer to the highest recorded tide in a year.

“Simply put, the king tide is the highest tide of the year. It’s influenced by the position of the moon in relation to the Earth. The persistent wind and the higher-than-normal tide will likely lead to minor-moderate coastal flooding in the normally flood-prone areas of New Haven and Fairfield Counties,” said WTNH meteorologist Fred Campagna, CT Post reported.

Since king tides are predictable, the NWS is able to send out a warning for the same, prior to the exact time and date of natural phenomenon. Even the level of impact from such tides can be calculated in the modern times.

According to NWS, some of the estimated impacts of the king tide of 2017 are “minor flooding of the most vulnerable waterfront and shoreline roads,” “inundation of 1 to 1 and half feet above ground level in the lowest lying spots” and “a few roads closures likely with a low threat of property damage.”

However, there have been instances when king tides have caused a fair amount of property damage along the coastlines. The daily lives of coastal residents are interrupted, including their daily sources of income and communication.

One of America’s worst hit states from various forms of flooding, including king tides, is California. Apart from the lives of 200,000 Californians living along the coast being threatened, one of the primary industries of the state – tourism – accounting for $662 billion in wages and $1.7 trillion in GDP, is also interrupted, according to National Ocean Service.