Shortly after noon, Gulfport Florida had the start of storm surge along Shore Boulevard South. Pinellas County remains under a hurricane warning and a flood watch.Barry Loper
As Hurricane Idalia approaches the Gulf coast of Florida, Gulfport began to see storm surge along its waterfront Shore Boulevard South.
Gulfport Public Works Director Tom Nicholls told The Gabber Newspaper the saltwater flooding in this photo came not over the sea wall or up over the beach — that will likely happen later today (Aug. 29) — but up through the storm sewers. The reason?
“King Tide,” Nicholls simply said.
A king tide, according to NOAA, is “a non-scientific term people often use to describe exceptionally high tides. Tides are long-period waves that roll around the planet as the ocean is ‘pulled; back and forth by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun as these bodies interact with the Earth in their monthly and yearly orbits. Higher than normal tides typically occur during a new or full moon and when the moon is at its perigee, or during specific seasons around the country.”
Right now, there’s a full moon and high tide, which can account for the King Tide. It’s also a Blue Moon, meaning the second full moon in a calendar month.
This type of storm surge, Gulfport Florida officials told The Gabber Newspaper, results from a King Tide.Barry Loper
Do you know your Pinellas evacuation zone? You can find it here. • Read all The Gabber Newspaper’s Idalia updates.
Both Pinellas County and The Gabber Newspaper encourage residents and visitors to get their forecast updates at the National Hurricane Center. The NHC releases updated forecasts and advisories at 2 a.m., 5 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m., and 11 p.m. We strongly discourage readers from taking weather advice from any other models.
Timely Holiday
Florida’s annual “Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday” will run through Friday, Sept. 8. That means Floridians can buy things such as generators, dish soap, and batteries without paying the state sales tax. Here’s the list of items included in the Disastar Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday.
