Picture this, all right, sunny Miami,
you're thinking beach day, right?
And then boom, the streets are flooded,
not from a storm, no way, just get this, the tide.
We're talking king tides, the king, you know,
and like this week, Miami's, well,
they're bracing for impact.
It could be a record breaker, seriously.
And what's really got people talking,
it's not just like your shoes getting wet on the sidewalk,
you know, the Herald, they're saying it could be
two feet above normal.
Think about that for a second, two feet of water.
That's streets, yards, even some homes at risk.
This is serious stuff.
Two feet, you're kidding, I mean,
they're not playing around, are they?
I heard they're even opening up those parking garages,
you know, the big ones, for people to move their cars,
get them to higher ground, geez.
This isn't just like a high tide,
this is like the oceans coming over for a visit.
Right, it's a crazy situation.
And you know, in a way, it's like a preview.
It's what a lot of coastal cities
might be dealing with down the line.
See, king tides, they're natural,
part of the whole cosmic dance, right?
Amplified by the full moon, and guess what?
We've got one this weekend, perfect timing.
Of course we do, why not, right?
But here's the thing, what we're seeing in Miami now,
this level of, I don't know, chaos,
that's where climate change rears its ugly head.
So it's like a double whammy.
On one hand, you've got the moon doing its thing,
pulling those tides, but then on the other hand,
you've got that higher baseline sea level
thanks to climate change, and it's almost like, what,
moving the goalposts?
The impact is just way worse.
Exactly, it's like it really drives home
how even these small changes in sea level,
well, they can cause huge problems.
And here's another thing, king tides, right?
They happen all year round, new moon, full moon,
you know the drill, but in Miami, the worst ones,
they always seem to hit in the fall.
You'd think it'd be spring, wouldn't you?
More storms and all that.
Yeah, it seems kind of, I don't know,
counterintuitive, doesn't it?
So what's the science behind that?
Why is fall the king tide season in Miami?
Well, it's not just the moon's pole, you know?
There's a lot at play here.
Ocean temperatures, the pressure in the atmosphere,
wind patterns, they all seem to peak in the fall.
Add that to the mix and you get some seriously high tides.
Right, right, so Miami's dealing with this
cosmic alignment right now, but you know what really
struck me?
I was reading the Miami New Times piece,
and they said it's like each king tide,
it's a sneak peek, like a preview of what higher sea levels
will do, but permanently.
Yeah, they called it a preview of Miami's future,
and they're not wrong.
Each one of these king tides, it's like a real life
simulation.
It shows us what those higher sea levels are gonna look like
every single day, not just for a couple of hours,
but all the time.
It's like Mother Nature is giving us a sneak peek, right?
Behind the curtain.
And let's be honest, it's not exactly the happiest ending
to the movie, but hey, knowing it's coming,
that's gotta be valuable, right?
Maybe we can actually do something about it.
Absolutely, it's like, think of it like this.
Each king tide, it's like a real life simulation.
It's showing us where the weak points are,
what we need to fix, it's information we can use.
Right, so instead of just freaking out
when the water starts rising, we can actually
get ahead of it.
Which brings us to that NASA study you were talking about
earlier, what's the big takeaway there, what'd they find?
Well, this study, it's a big deal.
It's not just about Miami.
They're saying that by the 2030s,
we're gonna see this huge surge in these high tide floods.
And get this, along all US coastlines.
Hold on, all of them, the whole country.
By the 2030s, that's what, like next week
in climate change years, that's crazy.
So what's the deal, why that timeline?
It's a few things coming together really.
Of course, you've got rising sea levels,
that's the big one, right?
But there's also this, well, it's kind of a natural wobble
in the moon's orbit.
And that's gonna shake things up a bit, literally.
A wobble?
Like what, like a spinning top about to fall over?
Kind of, yeah.
See, the moon's orbit, it's not a perfect circle, right?
It's got this little wobble, and that wobble,
well, it messes with its gravitational pull on the earth.
It's a whole cycle, and guess what?
We're about to enter this period where that wobble
lines up perfectly with the rising sea levels,
and it's gonna amplify everything.
Tides are gonna be even more extreme.
So we've got climate change, rising sea levels,
and now the moon's wobbling around,
and that's gonna mess with all the US coastlines.
This is getting a bit intense.
Yeah, it's a lot.
And it's not just about how high the water gets.
The NASA study, they emphasize this, it's the frequency.
It's how often these floods happen,
these tide clusters, they call them,
that can really mess a city up.
Because, I mean, if it's just a couple times a year,
you can deal, right?
But every other week, or every week,
that changes everything.
Exactly, think about it.
Businesses have to shut down, people can't get to work,
buildings get damaged, it's just snowballs.
And then there's the public health risk, right?
The study even talks about contaminated water,
overflowing cesspools, that kind of stuff.
Yeah, so it's not just wet shoes,
it's like the whole ecosystem of a city
gets thrown out of whack.
This is starting to sound less like a science report
and more like a, I don't know, a disaster movie.
Yeah, it's not a movie, right?
This is the reality we gotta prepare for.
But hey, there's some good news here.
That NASA study, with all that data,
89 tide gauges they used, that's a lot of data points.
It's like they're giving us a roadmap, right?
We can actually see where and when these floods are gonna hit.
Okay, so knowledge is power, right?
But what do we do with it?
Is it just building higher sea walls
and crossing our fingers?
It feels like this is bigger than just, you know,
slapping up some higher sea walls and calling it a day,
right?
This is like a whole different way of thinking
about living on the coast, isn't it?
Yeah, no, you're right on the money there.
It's not about just like holding back the water.
It's about adapting, you know, changing how we do things.
And the interesting thing is that NASA study,
they actually highlighted some cities
that are already doing some really cool stuff,
like using natural barriers, you know,
or they're elevating important infrastructure.
And get this, some are even planning
what they call managed retreat.
Managed retreat, that sounds kind of, I don't know, serious.
Like are we talking about waving goodbye
at parts of the coastline?
It's not giving up, it's more like strategic relocation.
But yeah, it's a tough conversation to have for sure.
But honestly, what's the alternative?
We just keep reacting, you know,
throwing money at bigger and bigger sea walls.
But eventually the water's gonna win, right?
Like we're seeing in Miami.
Yeah, those king tides, they don't miss around.
But that NASA study, all that data, 89 tide gauges,
that's amazing.
But you know what I find really interesting?
Imagine what they'll know in 10 years,
the data they'll have.
They'll be able to predict these floods
down to the minute, right?
Oh yeah, absolutely.
It's gonna be like having a crystal ball
for coastal flooding.
And that's powerful stuff.
We can actually be proactive.
We'll know where to put the resources,
how to build smarter.
Yeah, exactly.
And maybe, I don't know,
maybe we can even start to like change our whole mindset,
right?
Instead of being afraid of the ocean,
maybe we can figure out how to live with it a little better.
100%.
It's not about saying goodbye to the coast.
It's about understanding it, respecting it,
learning to live alongside it, you know?
It's a challenge, no doubt.
But it's also an opportunity.
We can rebuild and we can do it better,
more resilient, more sustainable.
No, that's what I like to hear.
A little bit of hope.
Expert speaker, this has been,
well, it's been eye-opening really.
Thanks for breaking it all down for us.
Happy to do it.
The more we understand this stuff,
the better we can deal with it.
That's what we're all about here.
And listeners, you heard it here first.
Climate change, it's changing everything,
even the tides.
So, stay informed, stay curious.
And hey, stay dry out there.
We'll see you on the next Deep Dive.