Charleston flood forecast
Clear today
Next flood window Sat 6:30–7:15 AM
Now
Today 1:54 AM
Tide
3.6 ft
In short
In Charleston, roads start to flood when the tide at NOAA's Charleston station passes about 6.6 ft (MLLW). Next flood: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30–7:15 AM EDT (flooding likely), with 12 streets forecast to flood at the peak, including Cherry St, Courtenay Dr and Colonial St.
Next 7 days
Flood windows
Sat
Oct 24
6:30–7:15 AMLikelyKing tidePeak 6.6 ft · Cherry St, Courtenay Dr, Colonial St +9 more
Sun
Oct 25
6:40–8:30 AMLikelyKing tidePeak 6.9 ft · Cherry St, Courtenay Dr, Colonial St +15 more
Mon
Oct 26
7:15–9:45 AMLikelyKing tidePeak 7.1 ft · Cherry St, Courtenay Dr, Colonial St +27 more
Tue
Oct 27
8:00–10:45 AMLikelyKing tidePeak 7.1 ft · Cherry St, Courtenay Dr, Colonial St +34 more
Wed
Oct 28
8:50–11:30 AMLikelyKing tidePeak 7.1 ft · Cherry St, Courtenay Dr, Colonial St +34 more
Tap a day for the street-by-street forecast and a share card. Times are America/New York time.
Since 2012
Charleston flood history
Days with roads at risk
669
since 2012
Record high water
9.85 ft
Sep 11, 2017
Estimates only. Never drive through flood water — six inches can float a car. Follow local authorities.
How this forecast works
FloodRoute combines NOAA tide predictions for the Charleston station with the elevation of every road segment in Charleston. When the predicted water level rises above a road's lowest point, it's marked — amber for possible, orange for likely, red for severe. The NOAA Charleston gauge shows how far the water is actually running above or below the tide tables; that difference is carried into the forecast and fades over the following days. Recent rain raises the next 24 hours. After each high tide, streets stay marked a little longer, because water drains off the road more slowly than the tide falls.
Tide source: NOAA station 8665530 (Charleston). Updated 1:56 AM.
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FAQ
Charleston flooding: questions, answered
Which roads flood in Charleston?
The worst flood forecast in the next 30 days is Tue, Oct 27, 8:00–10:45 AM EDT (flooding likely). At its peak, 37 streets are forecast to flood: Cherry St, Courtenay Dr, Colonial St, Drake St, Bull St, Gadsden St, Barre St, Ashley Ave, Bennett St, Poulnot Ln and 27 more streets. The live map shows every street, hour by hour.
When is the next flood in Charleston?
Sat, Oct 24, 6:30–7:15 AM EDT: flooding likely, peaking around 6:48 AM. FloodRoute forecasts 9 more flood windows in the next 30 days. See the street-by-street forecast for that day.
How high does the tide have to be to flood roads in Charleston?
Roads start to flood when the tide at NOAA's Charleston station passes about 6.6 ft (MLLW). Higher tides flood more streets, for longer. FloodRoute marks flooding as possible when the water is less than 0.5 ft above a road's low point, likely up to 1.5 ft, and severe at 1.5 ft or more.
When is the next king tide in Charleston?
Sat, Oct 24 at 6:50 AM EDT: a 6.2 ft high tide predicted at NOAA's Charleston station. FloodRoute calls a high tide a king tide when it is more than 0.7 ft above the station's mean higher high water (MHHW).
How can I get flood alerts for Charleston?
The free FloodRoute iPhone app gives you a heads-up before flood windows in your home town; FloodRoute Pro adds street-level alerts for your saved places and your commute. Without the app, subscribe to the Charleston flood calendar and flood days appear on your calendar automatically.
How accurate is the Charleston flood forecast?
It's an estimate built from NOAA tide predictions for the Charleston station, corrected with live readings from the NOAA Charleston gauge, and the measured elevation of every road segment in Charleston. Charleston is in Beta: community reports are still confirming which streets flood. Wind, storm surge and blocked drains can change what actually floods. Never drive through flood water.