Summary of September-October 2015 South Carolina King Tides
Highest Predicted Tide: 7.1′
Highest Observed Tide: 8.3′
Predicted King Tides: 11
Observed King Tides: 38
The September-October King Tides series, predicted to span eight days, lasted a total of 21 days! As tide levels were predicted to recede, an unprecedented 1,000-year rain event began, which flooded the coast and devastated parts of the state. Water levels peaked at 8.3’ above mean lower low water (MLLW) in Charleston Harbor on the afternoon of Saturday October 3. Water level data dating back to 1899 is available for Charleston Harbor from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The last time water levels in the Harbor exceeded 8.0’ MLLW was in June 2009, and tides haven’t reached 8.3’ MLLW since Hurricane Hugo in 1989 when water levels peaked at a record 12.5’ MLLW. In fact, the 8.3’ MLLW peak water level observed in the Harbor during the last King Tides event has only been exceeded six times since 1899.
| DATE | AM/PM | KING TIDE PREDICTED? | KING TIDE OBSERVED? | PREDICTED WATER LEVEL | OBSERVED WATER LEVEL | DIFFERENCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 22 | PM | No | Yes | 5.8 | 6.7 | 0.9 |
| September 23 | PM | No | Yes | 6.1 | 7.0 | 0.9 |
| September 24 | AM | No | Yes | 5.6 | 6.7 | 1.1 |
| September 24 | PM | No | Yes | 6.3 | 7.6 | 1.3 |
| September 25 | AM | No | Yes | 5.9 | 6.9 | 1.0 |
| September 25 | PM | Yes | Yes | 6.6 | 7.5 | 0.9 |
| September 26 | AM | No | Yes | 6.4 | 7.0 | 0.6 |
| September 26 | PM | Yes | Yes | 6.8 | 7.8 | 1.0 |
| September 27 | AM | Yes | Yes | 6.7 | 7.7 | 1.0 |
| September 27 | PM | Yes | Yes | 6.8 | 7.9 | 1.1 |
| September 28 | AM | Yes | Yes | 7.0 | 8.0 | 1.0 |
| September 28 | PM | Yes | Yes | 6.8 | 7.8 | 1.0 |
| September 29 | AM | Yes | Yes | 7.1 | 8.0 | 0.9 |
| September 29 | PM | Yes | Yes | 6.6 | 7.4 | 0.8 |
| September 30 | AM | Yes | Yes | 7.0 | 7.7 | 0.7 |
| September 30 | PM | No | Yes | 6.3 | 7.0 | 0.7 |
| October 1 | AM | Yes | Yes | 6.9 | 7.6 | 0.7 |
| October 1 | PM | No | Yes | 6.0 | 7.0 | 1.0 |
| October 2 | PM | Yes | Yes | 6.6 | 7.7 | 1.1 |
| October 3 | AM | No | Yes | 5.7 | 7.0 | 1.3 |
| October 3 | PM | No | Yes | 6.3 | 8.3 | 2.0 |
| October 4 | AM | No | Yes | 5.5 | 7.4 | 1.9 |
| October 4 | PM | No | Yes | 6.1 | 8.2 | 2.1 |
| October 5 | AM | No | Yes | 5.3 | 7.4 | 2.1 |
| October 5 | PM | No | Yes | 5.9 | 7.9 | 2.0 |
| October 6 | AM | No | Yes | 5.3 | 7.2 | 1.9 |
| October 6 | PM | No | Yes | 5.8 | 7.5 | 1.7 |
| October 7 | AM | No | Yes | 5.3 | 7.2 | 1.9 |
| October 7 | PM | No | Yes | 5.8 | 7.6 | 1.8 |
| October 8 | AM | No | Yes | 5.5 | 6.9 | 1.4 |
| October 8 | PM | No | Yes | 5.8 | 7.1 | 1.3 |
| October 9 | AM | No | Yes | 5.6 | 6.6 | 1.0 |
| October 9 | PM | No | Yes | 5.8 | 6.7 | 0.9 |
| October 10 | PM | No | Yes | 5.9 | 6.8 | 0.9 |
| October 11 | AM | No | Yes | 6.0 | 6.6 | 0.6 |
| October 11 | PM | No | Yes | 5.8 | 6.9 | 1.1 |
| October 12 | AM | No | Yes | 6.1 | 6.9 | 0.8 |
| October 12 | PM | No | Yes | 5.8 | 6.8 | 1.0 |
(Water levels in feet relative to MLLW at Charleston Harbor Tide Station.)
