An unusually high tide pushed seawater onto some low-lying areas along Portland’s waterfront on Tuesday, but didn’t appear to cause significant flooding damage.
The supermoon combined with an astronomical high tide known as a king tide lifted water levels to about 12 feet above mean low water, or more than 2 feet higher than a typical high tide. The flooding could have been worse except that rain held off until the tide receded.
Water rose over the street level at Portland Pier and pooled on Somerset Street in Bayside. The basement of Solo Italiano Restaurant on Commercial Street flooded when a sump pump failed, but Portlanders have seen much higher water when such high tides coincide with storms.
“It wasn’t really that bad,” said Nancy Dudley, who works at the Robinson, Kriger & McCallum law firm on Portland Pier. “It really gets bad if there is a storm surge.”
Tides are, of course, caused by the gravitational pull of the moon. This week’s supermoon is closer to Earth than it has been in 68 years, hence the extra-large appearance of the moon and the extra-strong gravitational pull.
The card game at left is about a foot away from being waterlogged. pic.twitter.com/Zm3BEtqrO2
— Portland Press Herald (@PressHerald) November 15, 2016
The harbormaster "had to check it out." pic.twitter.com/E7ohENJdVU
— Portland Press Herald (@PressHerald) November 15, 2016
There is about a foot of water on Portland Pier in front of Jay's Oyster Bar. pic.twitter.com/HHF6pX41qr
— Portland Press Herald (@PressHerald) November 15, 2016
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