Potential for flooding with “King Tides” and Hurricane Hector

Posted on by Brooks Bays
Image of sand bags on the beach
Image of sand bags on the beach in Waikiki courtesy of KITV.

As Hurricane Hector approaches, the best would be for it to keep pushing south. The worst, could be the timing. The storm comes just as experts are predicting “King Tides.” “We always hope for the best, but plan for the worst,” Honolulu’s Mayor Kirk Caldwell said. “If you see high tides and a storm surge, you’re going to see flooding.”

According to researchers from the UH Sea Grant College Program, “King Tides” were already expected to roll in this Thursday and Friday. “We can say that Hurricane Hector may exacerbate the high water levels that we’re already expecting,” Maya Walton, Program Leader and Research Coordinator at UH Sea Grant said.

Meteorologist with the Central Pacific Hurricane Center say the surf from Hector could build up the tides even higher and increase coastal flooding. Especially for areas prone to floods, like Mapunapuna and Waikīkī.

King Tides are expected to peak on Thursday at 3:05 p.m, in waters off Honolulu. Researchers say it’s too soon to tell how much the tides will increase, but they also predict it’ll be higher expected. “We’ll really have to go out and take photographs and report observations,” Walton added. She says to consider safety first, but if you are along the coastline and can snap a photo, submit it to the Hawaii and Pacific Islands King Tides Project.

Read more about it and watch the video report at KITV.

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Ocean Climate Atmosphere