ShipCalculators.com

High Tide Flooding

D5. Coastal processes, sea-level, cryosphere and ocean observation science

Definition

Recurrent coastal flooding at predictable high tides, also called sunny day flooding.

High tide flooding, also called nuisance or sunny-day flooding, is recurrent minor coastal inundation that happens at the highest predictable tides without any storm, when rising mean sea level pushes the tidal peak over low-lying infrastructure. NOAA documents its frequency multiplying along the US coast over recent decades. It is the early, chronic face of sea-level rise: not a single disaster but a steady increase in the number of days streets, drains, and quays go underwater.