The November 2021 nor’easter will be remembered as a classic low-pressure storm that packed more punch than typical local nor’easters.
The low pressure that spawned tropical storm-force winds was a true nor’easter originating from the clash of cold air diving into north Florida with the warm Gulf Stream current flowing north along the east coast this weekend. The resulting low pressure allowed for higher winds in contrast to more typical northeast wind events generated from strong high pressure or anticyclonic ridges.
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The strong winds reached 63 mph at Marineland, along with several 40-50 mph gusts around Duval County. The wind direction caused moderate to major coastal flooding as waves reached 16 feet Saturday morning. Sand washed down the beach and inundated shorelines and with some of their highest water levels since Irma.
The unfortunate timing of the Moon’s extra gravitational pull in the King Tide cycle boosted flooding along the beaches and rivers, but it was not the only catalyst.
The combination of the weather overlapping with astronomical and climate-derived factors, including sea-level rise, unfortunately, proved impactful yet again in our area.
St. Simons Island’s water gauge reached its fifth-highest historical water level Sunday morning, topping out at 2.79 feet just short of Hurricane Irma’s flooding in 2017.
Sixteen of St. Simons’ 20 highest water levels have occurred since 2015 — a clear byproduct of human-induced climate change and associated sea-level rise.
Tack on almost a foot of sea-level rise at Mayport since 1928. That extra 11 inches of water helps push ordinary events into disruptive territory like we just witnessed.