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Catch the King

...the largest environmental survey on the planet

Catch the King is a citizen-science volunteer effort in its 5th year in 2021, centered on GPS flood extent data collection using the free "Sea Level Rise App" (iOS and Android) to help validate VIMS' hydrodynamic models in coastal Virginia. In its inaugural year, Catch the King garnered the support of 722 individual volunteers who directly surveyed 59,718 GPS-reported high water marks during a king tide flood event over 6 hours on Nov. 5, 2017, across the U.S. East Coast. As a result, the effort was recognized by Guinness World Records for having the most contributions to an environmental survey.

With consideration towards minimizing the spread of COVID-19, like many volunteer programs, Catch the King will be offering minimal in-person training events at public parks and schools around Hampton Roads, as we have done on average 25-35 times annually in the years past. Additionally, training videos will be shared via YouTube using app interface tutorials through the fall within the "Help Catch the King Tide" public Facebook Group. While this year is not likely to be a growth year, we hope to cover as many areas in Hampton Roads while surveying places throughout tidewater Virginia, as VIMS' Center for Coastal Resources Management has expanded their Tidewatch 36-hr storm tide forecast map to cover all of coastal Virginia! Your data from Catch the King helped validate the accuracy of this model in 2017-2020 in Hampton Roads sufficiently to release the model's forecasts throughout the Coastal Commonwealth! 

In 2021, Catch the King will take place on Saturday, November 6, during the highest astronomical tide of the year, which will be 3.53 ft. above MLLW at 10:44 AM EDT at Sewells Point in Norfolk, VA. This year's VA fall tidal flooding calendar is featured below to provide more specifics on each tidal flooding event. Please download and save this 2021 Virginia Fall Tidal Flooding Calendar (Interactive PDF) for your reference:

You can click on the green highlighted King Tide period in the calendar or using this page's tabs (mobile interface) or the left sidebar menu (desktop) to learn more about the predicted astronomical tidal peaks and troughs for an area in Virginia near you.