ORLANDO, Fla. – Hurricane Idalia is projected to make landfall as a major hurricane along the gulf coast of Florida, then exiting over the east coast and out into the Atlantic by Wednesday.
As it continues on its path, it is expected to churn up the seas, increasing the threat for storm surge, beach erosion and coastal flooding over the next 48 hours.
Surf conditions will be the worst during high tides for coastal communities on Wednesday and Thursday, as Idalia moves offshore. But a rare full moon will also play a role in how Idalia will be impacting our Atlantic coastline.
The Super Blue Moon will reach its fullest on Wednesday at 9:35 p.m., creating higher than normal tides at the same time Idalia is off our coast.
These tides due to the full moon are called king tides, with some tides building up to a foot higher than usual.
The combination of Idalia’s dangerous storm surge and the king tides, people living along the coast should stay on alert for additional beach erosion and coastal flooding.
When the moon is full, the sun and the moon are pulling in the same direction, which has the effect of increasing tides above normal ranges, said Kerry Emanuel, professor emeritus of atmospheric science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The moon’s gravitational pulls are even stronger when it’s closer to Earth, so the tides are even higher.
This blue moon is the second full moon in August and the last supermoon of 2023.
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