King Tides, Storm Surge & Beach Walkover Damage in Juno Beach and Jupiter

King tide is an informal term for an exceptionally high tide. A perigean spring tide occurs when a new or full moon coincides with the Moon being near its closest approach to Earth. These events can raise high tides, but NOAA notes that seasonal and other factors mean some of the year's highest tides occur outside perigean spring tides.

King tides are predictable and recurring. They are not caused by storms. NOAA publishes tide predictions well in advance, and the South Florida Water Management District issues seasonal king tide forecasts each year. In South Florida, the highest king tides typically occur in September, October, and November.

Because king tides are astronomical events, they happen regardless of weather. A calm, sunny day can still produce a king tide that overtops low dune sections or floods beach access paths.

Storm surge is water pushed onshore by wind during a tropical storm or hurricane. It is not a tidal event. NOAA defines storm surge as the abnormal rise of water generated by a storm, over and above the predicted astronomical tide. When a storm surge coincides with a king tide, the combined water level can be significantly higher than either event alone.

For beach walkovers, the distinction matters. Repeated exposure to elevated water and wave wash can stress connections, saturate framing, and accelerate corrosion. When storm surge coincides with a king tide, the combined water level can be significantly higher than either event alone, and the forces on the structure are correspondingly greater.

Beach walkovers are elevated structures, but they are not immune to high-water events. The most common damage patterns include corrosion of hardware and fasteners from repeated salt-water immersion, loosening of post connections at the base where framing meets the ground or footing, displacement of decking boards when wave energy runs under the structure, and deterioration of wood framing that was not specified for direct marine exposure.

Damage is not always visible from the surface. A walkover that looks intact after a king-tide event may have compromised connections underneath. Boards may feel solid underfoot while the framing below has shifted or the hardware has begun to fail.

This is why a professional assessment — not a visual inspection from the top — is the appropriate first step after any significant high-water event.

After a king tide or storm surge, the most useful thing a property owner or condo board can do is document conditions before anything is disturbed. Photographs taken from a safe, established location — not from beneath or on a suspect structure — create a record that can support contractor assessments and any subsequent process.

Do not attempt to test structural integrity by walking the walkover or applying load to suspect sections. A professional assessment identifies whether the structure is safe to use, what repairs are needed, and whether the damage requires a permit to address.

Deckmasters works with oceanfront condominiums, HOAs, and private property owners on post-event assessments and repair scoping for beach walkovers in Juno Beach, Jupiter, and the surrounding Palm Beach County coast.