VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Hampton Roads has seen its fill of tidal flooding. But one particular flooding event is the highest tide of the year. Living in Hampton Roads the tides play a big role in our lives but the highest tide we will see this year is called the King Tide where the water would be about a foot higher.
"I actually just saw this yesterday on my run, so I was Googling it on my way to work," said Larchmont resident Grace Chaves. "I didn't know it was going to be such of a problem but now ready for the worst."
WTKR Chief Meteorologist Patrick Rockey said the King Tide won't be as bad as previous years, however, it is one of the highest tides of the year in the fall when the moon is closest to the earth.
This week, Virginia Beach Public Works crews were preparing for the water's peak expected Saturday afternoon.
"Shore Drive will be the area where we're looking at most because the winds right now are predicted to go north, northeast the next 12 to 24 hours," said Drew Lankford, public information officer for VB public works.
Lankford said crews will be monitoring storm drains on Shore Drive. But Lankford's big concern is the expected flooding from a combination of higher seas and sinking land posing a threat to the future of our region.
"This is what everyday tides will look like years from now if we continue to have sea level rise. I guess the best way we can put it is this could be the new normal," said Lankford.
"Getting to work is challenging because I have to go through Ghent. It's super low down there, so I'm having to plan ahead for everything," said Chaves.
"We just ride our skateboards and bikes to wherever we're going. We can't take these routes because of floods. So we usually have to go on the sidewalk" said Parker Holt, another resident in the area.
Lankford said crews are on-call all weekend.
"Police are very good about notifying us because there out all the time they will let public works know that there are some high waters here you may want to give some attention to," said Lankford.
Volunteers with "Catch the King,"a citizen science event, will also map out areas across the region, then researchers and planners will use that for data.
There's a way you can monitor the flooding right at your fingertips. Check out these interactive flood maps for projected flood heights and the exact times the tide could impact your community.
