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King Tides Hit the Grand Strand Oct 9–10: What to Know Before the Water Rises

King tides flood Grand Strand streets Oct 9–10. Here's where it floods, what to avoid, and when the next round hits Oct 26–27.

Category: news  |  Published: 2026-10-04

The ocean's about to put on a show — and flood a few streets doing it.

King tides roll into the Grand Strand on October 9–10, bringing some of the highest tides of the year. If you're visiting or you live here, here's what that actually means.

What's a king tide? It's not a storm. It's just the moon and sun lining up to pull the ocean higher than usual. No hurricane, no nor'easter — just astronomy doing its thing. But when that extra-high water meets our low-lying streets, things get wet.

Where it floods: The usual suspects. Streets around Cherry Grove in North Myrtle Beach, low spots in Garden City and Murrells Inlet, and parts of Pawleys Island are the first to go under. If you're staying in a beach house in one of those areas, don't be surprised to see water in the street at high tide.

Ocean Boulevard street near the water during a high-tide window

What to do:

  • Don't drive through saltwater. It'll eat your car's undercarriage alive, and what looks like a puddle can be a foot deep.
  • Time your beach walks around low tide — at high tide, the beach gets narrow in a hurry.
  • It's temporary. The water comes up, the water goes back down. A few hours later it's like nothing happened.

When exactly? Here are the predicted high tides at Springmaid Pier (via NOAA):

  • Friday, Oct 9: 7:03 AM (6.3 ft) and 7:18 PM (5.9 ft)
  • Saturday, Oct 10: 7:47 AM (6.4 ft) and 8:00 PM (5.8 ft)
  • Sunday, Oct 11: 8:29 AM (6.5 ft — the week's peak) and 8:39 PM (5.5 ft)

The morning high tides are the big ones. If you're near Cherry Grove, Garden City, or Pawleys Island around 7–8:30 AM that weekend, expect water in the streets.

The good news: king tide sunrises and sunsets are downright spectacular, with water pushing into the marshes and creeks. If you're here for it, grab your camera — just keep your feet dry.

When's the next one? After this round, the next king tide window is October 26–27 — and it's an even bigger one, with tides pushing 6.9 feet. Mark it down if you're visiting late in the month.

Moon over the ocean at dawn

Check the exact tide times: NOAA's Springmaid Pier station posts daily high and low tide predictions for Myrtle Beach — check before you head out: https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/stationhome.html?id=8661070