King tide vs. highest tide: why the labels are not interchangeable
How to use a local highest-tide ranking without falsely calling every top-percentile tide an official King Tide event.
Highest tide is measurable
A station’s highest predicted tides can be ranked directly from NOAA harmonic predictions for a selected period.
King tide is a local program label
King Tide projects and local agencies may publish specific event dates or use different thresholds. CoastEventRadar keeps those named programs distinct from its own percentile ranking.
Observed water can run higher
Wind, atmospheric pressure, waves and other ocean processes can make measured water differ from the astronomical prediction. That is why the anomaly layer sits beside, not inside, the tide label.
Flood likelihood is another product
NOAA High Tide Flooding likelihoods are model products relative to specific thresholds. They are displayed as a separate official derived layer where the station is covered.
Use all four layers
For a high-water trip, compare the prediction, local rarity, observed anomaly and official flood/alert products instead of relying on one dramatic label.