St. Pete Beach residents are bracing for another round of king tide flooding, with 44th Avenue among the areas expected to see water rise over the next two weeks. Neighbors say they’re used to it — but the flooding is lasting longer and reshaping their community.

By Tuesday, water had already begun creeping into driveways.

“I don’t sleep well if it’s raining overnight right now,” resident Jeff Graves told WTSP. “If it’s raining, I get up and I walk the house, I look out the windows, I check where there were leaks before.”

Graves, who lives in one of the city’s lowest-lying neighborhoods, said flooding is becoming harder to ignore. “We’ve seen more water in the street than we’ve ever seen before, and it stayed a lot longer than it had before.”

Local meteorologist Mike Prangley said tides are expected to be especially high this season. “The moon is reaching its closest point to Earth, creating a supermoon. That adds more pull on the tides, which could mean higher-than-normal water levels. This could be a big issue in Tampa Bay heading into the full moon in October and again in November.”

City leaders say the upcoming budget includes capital projects to address flooding and resiliency. In the meantime, some residents are taking matters into their own hands.

“We build piles and attach all the jacks to this machine that lets me raise the entire house evenly and keep it level,” said Vernon Harvey, who elevated his home.

Others, though, have decided to leave. “If you drive through the neighborhood, you’ll see for-sale signs popping up,” Graves said.

Many homes on 44th Avenue remain empty after Hurricane Helene left lasting damage.

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(Image credit: WFTS)

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