Expanding Tide Gauge Networks Helps Hurricane-Stricken Communities Weather the Storm

Highlights: 

• Tide gauges and their complementary technologies provide strong metrics, helping federal and state agencies track changes in coastal sea rise.
• The expansion of tide gauge networks in coastal towns and cities could help communities properly plan ahead for hurricanes and severe storms. 

June marked the start of hurricane season for the Atlantic and Gulf Coast states. In recent years, hurricanes have brought destruction to communities across the United States, with Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and North Carolina hit the hardest. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, hurricane-related damage cost Americans over $124 billion in 2024 alone. Much of this damage results from storm surge, when water is pushed inland. Storm surge is becoming more devastating as sea levels rise due to climate change. This makes accurately measuring sea levels particularly important as communities prepare for storms.

Local sea level measurements—calculated as the difference between the sea surface and land surface in a specific location—vary from region to region depending on factors like currents and temperature. Historically, the global sea level was calculated by averaging the data collected from tide gauges stationed around the world. Federal, state, and municipal agencies still use and install tide gauges to track flooding and trends in sea level rise. Traditional tide gauges consist of two key components: a submerged stilling well cylinder that samples the height of the water, and the land-based data recorder the cylinder is attached to. The tide gauge measures the sea level at the time of its installation, and this baseline value, called the datum, is then used to measure differences in future sea levels. 

In 2023, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) operated about 210 tide gauges across the United States, mostly in the coastal Great Lakes region. Measurements date back to the mid-1800s.

A comparison of traditional and modern tide gauges | Credit: National Ocean Service   

Traditional Tide Gauge	Modern Tide Gauge

Satellite altimeters, a complementary technology that calculates global mean sea level, were introduced in 1993. Today, data from satellite altimeters, stilling wells, and tide station enclosures are used in conjunction to provide accurate estimates of sea level changes worldwide.

Though sea levels are increasingly being measured by satellite, tide gauges remain a critical tool in estimating the global mean sea level, which makes it possible to track sea level rise. Tide gauges also provide critical information to emergency responders and vulnerable residents in flood-prone areas. Analyzing this data can help decision-makers plan for the future.

As federal agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and NOAA undergo funding cuts that may restrain their ability to adequately respond to extreme floods—by limiting their ability to install or maintain tide gauges, for example—expanding tide gauge resources at the state and local levels could help communities adapt to extreme flooding events in the near future.

The Case of Fort Myers, Florida

Florida faces the highest frequency of hurricanes nationwide, with 40% of all U.S. hurricanes hitting the state. Fort Myers in Lee County, Florida, routinely makes headlines for extreme flooding—but until 2024, the city only possessed one tide gauge. In June 2025, a local news segment reported that Lee County had scaled up the availability of tide gauge sensors to help state agencies gather more specific data about local flooding. This initiative was funded by Lee County’s All Hazards Emergency Fund.

Lee County’s tide gauge expansion was conducted through a public-private partnership with Hawaii-based tide technology company Hohonu. Fort Myers Director of Public Safety Ben Abes attributed the partnership’s creation to the 60-year wait for federal tide gauge resources. For hurricane-prone communities like Fort Myers, a short window of time can mean the difference between life and death each hurricane season. This was especially evident after Hurricane Ian in 2022.

As of June 4, 2025, there are at least 14 tide gauges in operation throughout Lee County. As the 2025 hurricane season progresses, Abes noted that the expanded network will now expedite emergency alerts for extreme flooding throughout the county—a move likely to save lives.

Tide Gauges and Congress

One of the most recent notable legislative discussions on tide gauges occurred in 2019 at the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis of the 116th Congress. There, Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers, testified that financial resources for tide gauges had depleted in recent years, noting that 4,700 tide gauges are included in the Federal Priority Streamgages network but only 3,600 are active due to funding issues. He added that “Congress should fully fund our critical national stream gauge and tidal gauge networks” as an act of hurricane preparedness.

In the 119th Congress, both the House and Senate have introduced bills relating to tide gauge expansion. The Protecting Coasts and Cities from Severe Weather Act (H.R.3771), introduced by Rep. Tom Kean (R-N.J.) in June, centers on coastal adaptation to extreme flooding. Section 3 of H.R.3771 addresses weather and water “data voids” in vulnerable regions, and suggests “advancing weather and water forecasting capabilities” and “observations” as a defense tool for coastal communities. Sen. Ed Markey’s (D-Mass.) Forecasting Optimization for Robust Earth Climate Analysis and S2S Tracking (FORECAST) Act of 2025 (S.1484) proposes funding to improve NOAA’s ability to track extreme weather events. Although the Senate bill has not yet progressed past committee introduction, its provisions for federal funding could help expand the tide gauge network nationwide. Finally, the Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act (H.R.152), sponsored by Rep. Mike Ezell (R-Miss.), attempts to alleviate the federal delays detailed by Abes by introducing shorter timelines for extreme weather resource allocation. This bill passed the House of Representatives in January.

As hurricane season threatens storm surges, proposals for strengthened tide gauge networks—both in Congress and in communities like Fort Myers—could play a crucial role in protecting Americans against extreme flooding and long-term coastal erosion.

Author: Jasmine Wynn