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Coastal flooding is simply when water inundates areas of normally dry ground along the coast. It is caused by higher than average high tide and is made much worse by heavy rainfall and/or strong onshore winds (winds blowing toward land from the ocean). While the term coastal flooding implies flooding along the coast, there are times that coastal flooding can travel well inland. According to FEMA, in the instance of a strong tropical system, coastal flooding can occur as far as 25 miles from the coast. Coastal flooding can cause billions of dollars in damage as well as loss of life. Even if a tropical system is hundreds of miles offshore, we could still see coastal flooding if there is a strong onshore wind in a particular area. Even if there isn’t a tropical system, anytime there’s a period of persistent onshore winds, we could see coastal flooding in vulnerable locations.

Hurricanes and tropical systems aren’t the only instances where we see coastal flooding. There are areas along the coast, like Miami, that are particularly susceptible to coastal flooding during what’s known as the “king tides.” This occurs when the Sun, Earth and Moon are all aligned and it creates the highest tides of the year. Each time these occur, low-lying areas in South Florida flood.

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You can access these maps from FEMA’s website to see if your area is at risk of coastal flooding.

J​ennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.