Widespread coastal flooding is forecast to impact Charleston and other parts of the South Carolina Lowcountry, driven by a series of powerful king tides that began affecting the region over the weekend. The National Weather Service issued coastal flood watches for Charleston and Colleton counties, while minor flooding was anticipated in Berkeley County. High tides on Monday and Tuesday mornings are expected to affect those areas as well as Beaufort and coastal Jasper counties.
The initial wave of flooding is tied to high tides predicted to reach between 7.9 feet and 8.1 feet in the Charleston Harbor, with morning high tide occurring around 7.30 a.m. These elevated waters are part of a seasonal king tide event, which occurs semi-regularly when the gravitational pulls of the sun, earth, and moon align to produce higher-than-average water levels.
Local flood severity is categorized by specific harbor measurements. Minor flooding begins when the harbor hits 7 feet, typically inundating only low-lying sections of the peninsula such as Lockwood Drive, Wentworth and Barre streets, Fishburne and Hagood streets, and Morrison Drive. Moderate flooding starts at 7.5 feet, a threshold that triggers flooding in the Medical District alongside portions of Highway 17, East Bay Street, and Market Street. Major tidal flooding is reached at 8 feet, levels capable of swamping downtown streets, severely disrupting traffic, and inundating properties across the city.
Additional high water is expected to persist through early this week, with the evening high tide projected to reach 7.5 feet according to the city of Charleston’s Tide Eye monitoring site.
Ahead of the rising waters, municipal authorities implemented emergency closures late on Oct. 24 along portions of Hagood Avenue, as well as Fishburne, Washington, and Society streets. Emergency road warnings were also established for Lockwood Drive, Broad Street, and the ramp leading to South Carolina Highway 61.
Local officials strongly urged motorists to avoid driving through standing water. Charleston enforces a strict “no-wake zone” law on flooded streets covered by six or more inches of water, making it illegal to drive a vehicle or boat faster than 5 mph or in any manner that generates damaging wakes into adjacent properties.
