King Tides Are Coming to the Maine Coast Next Week

One of the things that we can predict in nature is when the tides are coming. From there, we can predict the rise and fall of the tides, with some tides reaching back farther and encroaching higher up the coastline than other tides.

One tide that makes for an interesting view and is considered a sea phenomenon is King Tides when the tides are at their peak of height or closest encroachment onto land compared to 'normal tides'.

King Tides Impacting the Northeast

This year, the Northeast coastal states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York will experience this King Tide in the days to come, specifically between May 15th and March 19th.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are noting that there may be flooding in low-lying areas near the coast. The tides alone are said to not be the source of flooding but rather if a storm occurs around that time or strong winds.

With higher tides, we can also expect lower lows, as well.

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Why now?

Soon a perigean spring tide will happen, which happens when the moon is either new or full AND closest to the earth. And, actually, we may be in store for higher high tides, maybe not altogether 'King Tides', however, up to the summer solstice on June 21st. Add to this mix of events an additional element of sea level being higher in the late spring anyway.

Let's do science!

Hey, if you are really into this you can take part in documenting what happens where you live with the coming King Tide. There is a website looking for volunteers to send in photos and videos of what happens during these extreme encroachments. This information will be used for an environmental project called King Tides Gulf of Maine who actually create contests out of your documentation and send info to scientists for help with what to predict for our future climate.

Check out more about this at the King Tides Gulf of Maine website.