The Loxahatchee River near U.S. 1 has hit moderate flood stage five days running. A coastal flood watch warns of worse flooding late Saturday through Monday evening.
The National Weather Service in Miami has issued a coastal flood watch for coastal Palm Beach County, including Jupiter. It runs from late Saturday night through Monday evening and warns that significant coastal flooding is possible.
The tides are already flooding. A coastal flood advisory for moderate flooding is in effect until 2 a.m. Sunday. Those details are in the weather service’s active alerts for coastal Palm Beach County.
What the weather service expects
The Miami office’s forecast discussion, updated at 7:07 p.m. Friday, says:
- moderate coastal flooding is expected with each high tide
- major coastal flooding is possible late this weekend into early next week
- heavy rain and isolated flash flooding are possible in the east coast metro areas Sunday through Monday
- wind gusts over 35 mph are possible Sunday through Monday
The cause is a mix of the fall king tides and a steady northeast wind. A low is trying to form east of the Bahamas, which would strengthen that wind, the discussion says. Because the ground is already wet, water may struggle to drain from some coastal areas until low tide.
The watch says numerous roads may be closed. Low-lying homes, businesses and some critical infrastructure may be flooded, and some shoreline erosion may occur.
The river is already at moderate flood stage
The weather service gauge on the Loxahatchee River 500 feet downstream of U.S. 1 has topped moderate flood stage every day since Sunday, Oct. 19.
That gauge counts 1.7 feet above mean higher high water as moderate flooding and 2.5 feet as major. The highest reading this month was 2.34 feet at 7 p.m. Thursday. It read 2.33 feet at 7:45 a.m. Friday and 1.94 feet at 8:15 p.m. Friday.
| Day | Highest reading |
|---|---|
| Sunday, Oct. 19 | 2.18 feet |
| Monday, Oct. 20 | 2.22 feet |
| Tuesday, Oct. 21 | 2.23 feet |
| Wednesday, Oct. 22 | 2.34 feet |
| Thursday, Oct. 23 | 2.33 feet |
In the week before, from Oct. 12 to 18, the highest daily reading was 1.41 feet.
The same gauge passed major flood stage a month ago. It read 2.66 feet at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 26 and 2.59 feet the next morning.
Upriver, the gauge on the Loxahatchee River about 5 miles northwest of Jupiter read 2.2 feet Friday evening, in minor flood stage there.
When the high tides come
High tide comes about 45 minutes later each day. These are NOAA’s predicted times at the Jupiter Inlet south jetty. The morning tides are the higher ones:
| Day | Morning high | Evening high |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Oct. 24 | 7:37 a.m. | 7:46 p.m. |
| Sunday, Oct. 25 | 8:23 a.m. | 8:30 p.m. |
| Monday, Oct. 26 | 9:09 a.m. | 9:14 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Oct. 27 | 9:57 a.m. | 10:01 p.m. |
The predicted morning highs rise each day through Tuesday. Those predictions cover the tide alone. Wind and waves can push water higher than predicted, which is what the watch is about.
At the beach
A high surf advisory runs until 8 p.m. Saturday, with breaking waves of 5 to 8 feet. A high risk of rip currents lasts through Monday evening. The forecast discussion says surf of 10 to 12 feet is possible Sunday along the northern Palm Beach County coast. The weather service asked inexperienced swimmers to stay out of the water.
What it means for you
- Check the tide before you drive near the Intracoastal, the river or the inlet. The worst water is around high tide.
- Do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth, the weather service said.
- Move what you can off the ground in garages and ground-floor rooms in flood-prone spots, the watch advises.
- Report flooded streets in the town’s JupConnect app or on the Resident Info Line, 561-743-7013. Our hurricane and flood prep page has the numbers and how to find your flood zone.
- Power out? See who to call in a power outage.
- Road closures are on our Jupiter road closures page, updated as they come in.
We will update this story if the watch becomes a warning.
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