Have you enjoyed the view of the full moon that has occurred over the last two nights?  Even with all of the smoke in the Southeast, the drought has kept skies reasonably clear and most folks have gotten a glimpse of how big it is, because it is on the nearest point of its orbit to Earth.  But the “Supermoon” has had some frightening consequences for people who live in coastal areas, because the full moon has led to “king tides” which bring seawater in the normal tides much higher than usual, inundating areas that are usually dry.  As sea levels continue to rise, these nuisance floods are going to become more and more frequent.

You can read about it on the WunderBlog here or in the Capital Weather Gang post at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/11/15/supermoon-spiked-king-tide-offers-sneak-preview-of-sea-level-rise-along-east-coast/.

"Acqua alta" (high water) caused by high tides and strong winds brought flooding to Venice, Italy on Saturday.  Source: Marco Bertarelli/AFP/Getty via BBC Weather
“Acqua alta” (high water) caused by high tides and strong winds brought flooding to Venice, Italy on Saturday. Source: Marco Bertorelli/AFP/Getty via BBC Weather