Next king tides arrive Friday as Miami Waterkeeper presses for stormwater upgrades
The group's report card rated Miami Beach Excellent on stormwater rules, while Bay Harbor Islands and North Bay Village were rated Poor.
The next round of king tides is due Friday, days after a cycle that set record water levels, and Miami Waterkeeper is using the moment to call for more spending on flood and stormwater systems.
The environmental advocacy nonprofit posted a reel on Instagram on Oct. 31 explaining why the tides are getting worse and asked followers to sign a petition urging Miami to invest in stormwater and flooding infrastructure. The post does not say whether that means the city or the wider region. The City of Miami lists king tides for Nov. 6-9 and Nov. 23-26.
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The group’s 2026 Stormwater Report Card, released in June with the Everglades Law Center, the University of Miami’s Environmental Justice Clinic and P.E.E.R. Group, shows how unevenly local governments handled the permit rules for their storm systems from 2021 to 2023.
The report gives each town two scores: one for whether required documents and actions were in place, and one for the quality of that work.
| Town | Required steps | Quality | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Beach | 95% | 98% | Excellent |
| Bal Harbour | 84% | 80% | Good |
| Surfside | 74% | 74% | Moderate |
| Sunny Isles Beach | 74% | 68% | Moderate |
| North Bay Village | 60% | 55% | Poor |
| Bay Harbor Islands | 59% | 53% | Poor |
North Bay Village’s scores each fell 12 points from 2020, and Bay Harbor Islands’ fell 6 and 8. Miami Beach’s rose 15 and 13.
The report said North Bay Village and Bay Harbor Islands did not report inspecting stormwater pumps in 2023. It also said Surfside and Sunny Isles Beach, along with Bay Harbor Islands, did no inspections of stormwater pipes and culverts that year. Countywide, the share of municipalities with pumps that inspected them fell from 94.1% to 78.9%.
“Stormwater pollution doesn’t stop at city limits,” Mariana Aziz, Miami Waterkeeper’s environmental policy director, said in the group’s June release.
The report warns that heavier rain and rising seas will strain aging systems and worsen flooding and water quality. Its data ends in 2023, so it doesn’t show any work done since. Scores measure compliance with stormwater permits, not how well a town handles flooding.
Red Sidewalks asked North Bay Village, Bay Harbor Islands, Surfside and Sunny Isles Beach for comment after this story was first published and will add any responses.
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