If you didn’t make it to the beach this weekend, it’s likely the beach made it to you, if you live anywhere near the coast.
Gulf waters crept into streets on St. Pete Beach.
In some areas, the water levels reached as high as four feet deep.
#KingTide is here on St. Pete Beach! @abcactionnews pic.twitter.com/KtcDbRQHQi
— Andrea Lyon (@andrealyonTV) October 7, 2017
ABC Action News investigated the area of Casablanca Avenue where people, cars, trucks - whoever- was trying to get through was having a tough time.
“I just can’t believe this,” Janis Allwood, who lives less than a mile from the white sands of St. Pete Beach, said.
Man people could be seen wading through the water for fun, others driving cautiously hoping the water didn’t reach too high and into their vehicles.
“I went running and came back and I couldn’t even get home,” Janis said standing rain boots, in her flooded driveway.
Neighbors on Casablanca Avenue say it often floods near the coast.
But, that it’s never been this high.
A block down from Janis, the water was rising even higher, four feet deep at the intersection.
“It’s high tide and the streets are flooding,” Phillip Spano, wearing his board shorts offered to swim in the water for video purposes.
ABC Actions News, said no, and was happy to see no one else doing it either, as flood water is always suspicious, especially when rising from storm drains.
“No gators or anything,” Spano laughed at his own suggestion.
Luckily, ABC Action News did track down the Public Works Director for St. Pete Beach.
Mike Clark, moved to St. Pete Beach for his new position a year ago and happens to live in the same neighborhood experience high-tide flooding.
“It’s an island paradise, but it has repercussions,” Clark said.
But, it doesn’t take an engineer to explain the high tide is actually due to this month’s Harvest Moon.
The Harvest Moon happens when the Earth, Moon and Sun are perfectly alined, creating the highest tide of the year called ‘King Tide’.
And boy is it true for neighborhoods all along the coast.
Areas that have seen flooding in the Tampa Bay area include:
- Dunedin
- Longboat Key
- Tarpon Springs
- Gulfport
- Oldsmar
- Baycrest
- MacDill AFB
- St. Pete Beach
- Redington Shores
- Hudson
- Pass A Grill
According to Public Works Director, Mike Clark, there is nothing wrong with Casablanca Avenue’s drainage system, but there are plans to possibly improve it within the next three years.
Clark tells ABC Action News the key indicator that Mother Nature is at fault for the high water, is that the water on the street is at the same level as the water in the bayou.
“It’s been like this before and it's not a hurricane right now, at least not here,” Janis said, trying to figure out why it was so high.
When we told her it was due to the Harvest Moon and she was actually experiencing King Tide, she was excited to hear she had nothing to worry about
“I was just asking somebody if it's a full moon, it’s crazy” she said.
The water is expected to be at its highest Sunday morning and into Monday.
