A University of Central Florida-led team analyzed tide-gauge records and flood reports from the United States and the United Kingdom. It found that floods often cluster at certain hours in many places where tides strongly shape water levels.
In Boston, recorded floods tended to cluster around noon and midnight, while in Southern California they were more common in the morning. The timing varies by coastline and is less regular where other forces play a larger role.
The researchers said the patterns could help improve flood warnings, emergency planning and infrastructure operations. Those are potential uses of the finding, not a forecasting system the team reported as already in service.
The study appeared in Nature Communications. Its results offer a planning clue, but do not mean every coastal flood can be predicted by the clock.
