SAN FRANCISCO – The Coast Guard is advising boaters in near shore Northern California waters to watch out for “king tides.”
According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), king tides occur when the sun and moon’s gravitational pulls reinforce one another during times of the year when the moon is closest to the earth. They will be present in the Bay Area today through January 3.
Areas of greatest concern during these tides include Bay side tidal flats, creek mouths, and built-up urban areas along the immediate coast. Typically the greatest buildup is right along the Bay shore.
According to NOAA sources, impacts may include flooding of beach and coastal access infrastructure including low-lying roads and trails, docks, harbors, park-and-ride lots and coastal underpasses and tidal flats.
Boaters are reminded to monitor their vessels at anchor; check mooring lines at the pier to ensure vessels don’t become a drifting hazard to other boaters during the expected higher-than-usual tides.
Beach-goers are reminded to be aware that shorelines will see higher tides than usual, possibly blocking beach access to coves normally accessible at high tides.
More information is available to the public concerning high tides at http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.html and https://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/4007/2056850/
