NORFOLK, Va. — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released its annual high-tide flooding outlook, and Hampton Roads is in for another wet year.
According to NOAA, the average for this so-called "nuisance flooding" is eight days. The national average last year was four high-tide flood days.
A high-tide flood day is when tides reach one to two feet above the daily average.
This year, the administration predicts 11 to 17 days for Hampton Roads and six to 17 days for the Eastern Shore.
The estimates are slightly lower than last year: NOAA predicted 9 to 19 days, and the Mid-Atlantic saw 17 days of high-tide floods, on average. But during that meteorological year we experienced a 10-day jump from 2022. And this year we’ll experience La Nina effects, which typically bring milder flooding conditions.
The bottom line is that record coastal flooding will continue to be the norm, according to NOAA officials.
It's not just a problem for our region. Last year, 34 locations across the country broke their previous records.
NOAA officials say just about everybody should prepare for a wetter future.