El Nino and high tide floding, a possible double whammy for some coastal communities in 2026
Today's Flooding Outpaces the Strong El Niños of 1982–1983 and 1997–1998
Insights
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NOAA oceanographer William Sweet notes the especially strong El Niños of 2015–2016 and 2023–2024 brought far more frequent flooding.
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Scientists have tracked this uptick over decades of tide-gauge data.
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With a possible El Niño developing before December, this year's flooding impacts could be even stronger.
Scientists who track coastal flooding don't just look at what's happening now — they look back, comparing today's numbers against past events to see whether things are getting better, staying the same, or getting worse. That comparison is where this story gets its edge.
What they've found isn't reassuring. Events that once stood out as unusually severe now look almost modest next to what coastal communities are experiencing today, and that trend shows no clear sign of leveling off.
