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getmybehindsatan t1_j4gnq50 wrote

Reply to comment by TVDinner360 in High tide at Point Defiance today. by Washpedantic

Plus all the rain from the last week is flowing into the sound. So many flooded areas by rivers.

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pala4833 t1_j4grq6v wrote

Lots of rain has no effect on sea level. Come on.

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sse2k t1_j4h7v4i wrote

Can’t tell if you’re trying to be funny or not, but I’ll reply for the benefit of everyone else.

Yes, localized rain does impact peak king tides. Puget Sound is fed by one inlet, the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The volume of water entering and exiting during tidal cycles is massive. If rainwater and its associated runoff is fed into the Sound at the same time as an incoming tide, the effect is amplified. Runoff simply cannot push against the sheer volume of water coming into the region.

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pala4833 t1_j4hqfzn wrote

> Runoff simply cannot push against the sheer volume of water coming into the region.

Precisely. That's exactly why heavy local runoff has no effect on sea level. If there's an 13' king tide predicted for Potlach State Park while there's high volumes in the Skykomish River, you don't see higher tides at Point No Point. The "extra" water backs up into the Skykomish River valley and you get flooding there. Sea Level sees no significant increase.

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