PORTLAND, Ore. — King tides season is here! The high tides attract many visitors and photographers to the Oregon Coast throughout the fall and winter, and they'll be visible this weekend.
However, officials caution people to watch them from a safe distance, as a video posted on the Cannon Beach Facebook page illustrates. Mike Ball, who took the video, captured a woman being swept up and held underneath the water by some powerful sneaker waves before stumbling back to shore.
"The water started coming up towards her. She noticed it, she turned around and just as she was trying to get away, those waves grabbed her," he said, "It was very disturbing, because I felt so... helpless. I couldn't do anything for her."
Ball told KGW that he was visiting from Kansas and never been to the Northwest. After having some dinner in Cannon Beach, he decided to take a walk and saw the situation unfold. Ball said the sand dune he was on was about 15 feet up, so he couldn't figure out how to help the woman. Luckily, she appeared to be fine as she eventually got out and walked away.
First responders weigh in on safety
While the king tides are a beautiful, natural wonder — and local agencies encourage folks to come see them in person — they've issued a warning: Keep your distance.
"There’s a lot of sneaker waves that come up the beach," said Koa Lyu with the Cannon Beach Fire District. "The surprising factor of a wave coming at you, a lot faster than you think, you can’t get out of the way — and it’s pretty strong swell, as well."
Lyu told KGW they sent out lifeguards beginning Friday, a day after the close call, to popular beach access points.
"What we’re finding out is that a lot of people came to town to see the tides, but there’s a lot of people who don’t know that the king tides are happening," he said.
"We get people coming in from all over the world to Cannon Beach. It’s a beautiful place to come visit," said Police Chief Rob Schulz. "Just do your research before coming here."
Schulz recommends checking out the tide charts before venturing out anywhere on the coast, not just Cannon Beach. He also says it's crucial to call 911 if someone gets into a troubling situation — and to avoid intervening.
"Do not put yourself in the same situation because that water, even if you are an experienced swimmer, that water is so powerful that you’re probably going to become a victim, too," he said, "It’s very, very important that people be safe here. Mother Nature is not something you want to mess with."
Why do king tides happen?
The tides happen because of the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun. When the moon and the Earth's orbit comes close to the sun — and the sun, moon and Earth are directly aligned — then the gravitational influence on the tides increases, causing extremely high tides.
The dates below are when people can expect to see the king tides, according to the Oregon King Tides Project:
- Nov. 15-17, 2024
- Dec. 13-15, 2024
- Jan. 11-13, 2025
With the king tides comes the possibility of minor tidal overflow flooding, the National Weather Service (NWS) warns. The agency urges anyone traveling along Highway 101 to avoid driving through any flood waters.
