As you can see in the above picture, King Tides occur during a full moon or what is known as a super full moon. Why are King Tides affected by the moon you ask? It is actually not just the moon. Infact, it is actually the total alignment of the earth, moon and sun. The result of this alignment in conjunction with the gravitational pull of the moon results in the King Tide. This is because during this alignment, the moon is much closer to the earth than the sun. The shorter distance leads to the moon's stronger gravitational pull. The heightened gravitational pull directly impacts the earth's sea levels.
Should you concern yourself with a King Tide? Yes! There are some things you want to take into consideration and here's why: Because the water level is much stronger and rises to a higher level, King Tides have been known to cause localized flooding. King Tides are also more dangerous to swim in so caution to all swimmers is advised. Regardless of the King Tide or not, be sure to take higher tides into consideration prior to swimming, boating or partaking in any offshore activities.
