# Charleston, SC king tide and flood history since 2012

> Since 2012, NOAA's Charleston tide gauge has recorded water high enough for FloodRoute's model to put at least one Charleston road at risk on 669 days, about 46 a year. The highest water was 9.85 ft on Monday, September 11, 2017, 3.63 ft above the tide tables; at that level the model estimates 326 Charleston roads were at risk, including Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive and Colonial Street.

**Estimates, not records of actual flooding.** Each day is NOAA's verified high water at the tide gauge, run through FloodRoute's flood model on today's roads and elevations, in dry weather. Drains, levees, tide gates, rain, road changes and elevation error all mean real conditions differed. Not for property, real-estate, insurance, lending, engineering or legal decisions.

- Gauge: NOAA 8665530 (Charleston), verified data Jan 1, 2012 – Sep 30, 2026
- Live forecast: [Charleston flood forecast](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston.md)

## The biggest days

| Date | High water (Charleston gauge, ft MLLW) | vs tide tables | Roads at risk | Severity | Deepest streets (model) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2017 | 9.85 | +3.63 ft | 326 | Severe | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Dec 17, 2023 | 9.64 | +3.86 ft | 311 | Severe | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Oct 8, 2016 | 9.28 | +4.27 ft | 283 | Severe | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Aug 30, 2023 | 9.19 | +2.33 ft | 269 | Severe | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Nov 24, 2018 | 8.74 | +2.19 ft | 210 | Severe | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Oct 27, 2015 | 8.65 | +1.50 ft | 191 | Severe | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Nov 7, 2021 | 8.52 | +1.56 ft | 160 | Severe | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Oct 10, 2025 | 8.43 | +1.49 ft | 160 | Severe | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Nov 6, 2021 | 8.42 | +1.37 ft | 145 | Severe | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Jun 4, 2023 | 8.37 | +2.04 ft | 145 | Severe | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Dec 22, 2022 | 8.30 | +2.09 ft | 133 | Severe | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Nov 10, 2022 | 8.29 | +2.03 ft | 133 | Severe | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |

## Most recent days

| Date | High water (Charleston gauge, ft MLLW) | vs tide tables | Roads at risk | Severity | Deepest streets (model) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2026 | 7.03 | +0.48 ft | 14 | Likely | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Sep 29, 2026 | 7.41 | +0.82 ft | 32 | Likely | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Sep 28, 2026 | 7.77 | +1.26 ft | 70 | Severe | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Sep 27, 2026 | 7.76 | +1.41 ft | 70 | Severe | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Sep 26, 2026 | 7.50 | +1.37 ft | 36 | Likely | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Sep 25, 2026 | 7.56 | +1.48 ft | 44 | Likely | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Sep 24, 2026 | 7.44 | +1.40 ft | 36 | Likely | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Sep 10, 2026 | 7.16 | +0.67 ft | 18 | Likely | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Sep 9, 2026 | 7.29 | +0.74 ft | 21 | Likely | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |
| Sep 8, 2026 | 7.63 | +1.13 ft | 57 | Likely | Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive, Colonial Street |

## Days with roads at risk, by year

| Year | Days | Highest water at the gauge (ft) | Most roads at risk | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [2012](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston/history/2012.md) | 26 | 7.98 | 93 | full |
| [2013](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston/history/2013.md) | 29 | 7.46 | 36 | full |
| [2014](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston/history/2014.md) | 36 | 7.58 | 44 | full |
| [2015](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston/history/2015.md) | 44 | 8.65 | 191 | full |
| [2016](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston/history/2016.md) | 44 | 9.28 | 283 | full |
| [2017](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston/history/2017.md) | 40 | 9.85 | 326 | full |
| [2018](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston/history/2018.md) | 37 | 8.74 | 210 | full |
| [2019](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston/history/2019.md) | 73 | 8.07 | 108 | full |
| [2020](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston/history/2020.md) | 54 | 8.18 | 121 | full |
| [2021](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston/history/2021.md) | 41 | 8.52 | 160 | full |
| [2022](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston/history/2022.md) | 63 | 8.30 | 133 | full |
| [2023](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston/history/2023.md) | 64 | 9.64 | 311 | full |
| [2024](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston/history/2024.md) | 47 | 8.24 | 133 | full |
| [2025](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston/history/2025.md) | 42 | 8.43 | 160 | full |
| [2026](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston/history/2026.md) | 29 | 7.77 | 70 | partial |

## Method

For every day since 1996 we take NOAA's verified highest observed water at the tide gauge, adjust it to the town's prediction station exactly as the live forecast does (the gauge's departure from the tide tables, minus the departure already built into our calibration), and run FloodRoute's flood model on today's road network and street elevations. A day counts when at least one road in the town is at or below that water level by the model's rules. Rain is not included, so wet days were likely worse.

Data: [CSV](https://floodroute.com/data/history/sc/charleston.csv) · [JSON](https://floodroute.com/data/history/sc/charleston.json) · Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0 (https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0/) · Credit: FloodRoute (floodroute.com), © OpenStreetMap contributors, NOAA CO-OPS · [All towns](https://floodroute.com/data.md)

## Frequently asked questions

### How often do roads flood at high tide in Charleston?

By FloodRoute's estimate, at least one Charleston road was at risk on 669 days between 2012 and Sep 30, 2026, about 46 a year. Most of those days are shallow water on a few low streets; the [biggest days](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston/history) put dozens of roads at risk.

### What was the highest tide in Charleston since 2012?

Monday, September 11, 2017: NOAA's Charleston tide gauge recorded 9.85 ft (MLLW), 3.63 ft above the tide tables. At that level FloodRoute's model estimates 326 Charleston roads were at risk, including Cherry Street, Courtenay Drive and Colonial Street.

### When did a high tide last put Charleston roads at risk?

The most recent day in the verified record is Wednesday, September 30, 2026: 7.03 ft at the Charleston gauge, 14 roads at risk. NOAA verifies data with a lag of a month or two; the [live forecast](https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston) covers today and the weeks ahead.

### Is this a record of actual flooding in Charleston?

No. Estimates, not records of actual flooding. Each day is NOAA's verified high water at the tide gauge, run through FloodRoute's flood model on today's roads and elevations, in dry weather. Drains, levees, tide gates, rain, road changes and elevation error all mean real conditions differed. Not for property, real-estate, insurance, lending, engineering or legal decisions. Neighbor flood reports in the FloodRoute app are the ground truth we use to check and improve the model.

### Can I use this data?

Yes. Download it as [CSV](https://floodroute.com/data/history/sc/charleston.csv) or [JSON](https://floodroute.com/data/history/sc/charleston.json) under the Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0, with attribution to FloodRoute (floodroute.com), © OpenStreetMap contributors, NOAA CO-OPS. Please describe it as estimates, never as observed flooding. More on the [open data page](https://floodroute.com/data).

**Forecasts are estimates, not guarantees.** Never drive or walk through flood water: according to the National Weather Service, a foot of moving water can carry away most cars. Turn around, don’t drown. Always follow local authorities and official warnings.

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Web version: https://floodroute.com/sc/charleston/history · Site index for AI agents: https://floodroute.com/llms.txt · Every page is available as Markdown: add `.md` to its URL.

FloodRoute provides estimates only. Never drive or walk through flood water. © Axiomic, LLC · contact@axiomic.ai