Flooding in the streets of St. Augustine.Flooding in the streets of St. Augustine.
Water has already begun to flood the streets of St. Augustine. | News4Jax

St. Augustine braces for heavy flooding from king tides and Hurricane Isaias

Published on October 9, 2026 at 3:02 pm
Free local news and info, in your inbox at 6 a.m. M-F.

King tides over the next several days, combined with the potential for severe weather from the outskirts of Hurricane Isaias, could combine for major flooding in St. Augustine.

A king tide is an exceptionally high tide that happens when the moon is closest to Earth, and when storms push water toward shore, that extra high tide can make flooding worse.

Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one.

The city of St. Augustine has warned residents on social media that if a road is flooded, they should find another route.

High tide reached about 5½ feet just before 8:15 a.m.

The Florida Department of Transportation is working on a nearly $20 million project to replace the aging seawall in Downtown St. Augustine. That work started in June and stretches from the Bridge of Lions toward Charlotte Street.

One of the goals is to better protect A1A from king tides like the ones the area is experiencing this week.

But that project isn’t expected to be finished until fall of next year.

So with king tides expected through Tuesday, the city of St. Augustine posted a warning on Facebook, saying that if you absolutely have to drive through standing water, slow down.

That’s because your vehicle can create waves that push water farther onto neighboring properties and toward people’s homes.

Also beware of driving through salt water because it can destroy your car.


This story was produced by News4Jax, a Jacksonville Today news partner.