In short
- NOAA's Fort Myers gauge shows relative sea level rising 1.43 inches per decade (plus or minus 0.08), for April 1965 to December 2025.
- Days at the gauge's minor high-tide flood level ran 0 to 8 a year from 2000 to 2025; 2024 had the most (8).
- The highest water in the monthly records came from storms: 7.24 ft above normal high tide in September 2022 (month matches Hurricane Ian) and 5.25 ft in October 2024.
- Your seawall cap height is set by an engineer and the City permit, not by this page.
On this page
- The nearest long-running gauge is at Fort Myers
- What "normal high tide" means at this gauge
- High-tide flood days: 0 to 8 a year, most in the last few years
- The highest water: storms dominate the top of the list
- What this means for a seawall decision, and what it does not
- Sources and method
- Frequently asked questions
If you are checking Cape Coral sea level and high tides before a seawall decision, NOAA's public tide gauge data gives real measurements instead of guesses. We pulled the numbers for the Fort Myers gauge and show them plainly. We are an independent referral service that connects visitors with independent local contractors, not a contractor or an engineer.
The nearest long-running gauge is at Fort Myers
We used NOAA CO-OPS station 8725520, Fort Myers, on the Caloosahatchee River. NOAA's station list for this stretch of coast shows only one other water-level station, Naples Bay North (8725114), much farther south. The gauge is not in Cape Coral, and a canal can behave differently from the river, so it is a regional guide only.
The trend is "relative" sea level: it combines the water rising and the land moving. Multiplying NOAA's trend by the length of the record (our arithmetic) gives roughly 8.7 inches between 1965 and 2025. We do not project that forward.
What "normal high tide" means at this gauge
NOAA measures heights against fixed reference levels called datums. The 1983-2001 epoch is NOAA's current official reference period for this station, so today's water sits a bit above these averages.
| Reference level | Meaning | Feet vs NAVD88 |
|---|---|---|
| MHHW | Average of the higher high tide each day | +0.28 |
| MSL | Mean sea level, the average of all tides | -0.41 |
| MLLW | Average of the lower low tide each day | -1.04 |
Source: NOAA datums for station 8725520, epoch 1983-2001. NAVD88 is the national land-survey height reference that elevation certificates and surveys commonly use. A normal day's tide range here is small: MHHW sits 0.69 ft (about 8 inches) above mean sea level.
High-tide flood days: 0 to 8 a year, most in the last few years
NOAA counts the days each year when water reached set flood levels. At Fort Myers they are 1.69 ft (minor), 2.66 ft (moderate) and 3.89 ft (major) above MHHW. The counts include storm days, so they are not only "sunny day" flooding. We assume each level includes days that also reached the higher ones, which matches the way the numbers nest in NOAA's table.
| Period | Minor days | Moderate | Major |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-2009 (10 yrs) | 12 | 3 | 0 |
| 2010-2019 (10 yrs) | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020-2025 (6 yrs) | 20 | 12 | 4 |
Days with at least one reading at or above each level, summed over the period. Per year that is about 1.2, 2.2 and 3.3 minor days. 2024 alone had 8 minor, 6 moderate and 2 major days; 2022 had 3, 2 and 2. Years 2002, 2003, 2010 and 2011 have gaps in NOAA's record.
Why this matters for a wall: a few days a year at or above the minor level means water sometimes reaches high on the wall and its cap. Repeated flooding of a yard is worth mentioning to an inspector, as our seawall failure signs guide explains.
The highest water: storms dominate the top of the list
| Year (month) | Ft above MHHW | Ft NAVD88 | Likely event |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 (Sep) | 7.24 | 7.52 | Hurricane Ian |
| 2024 (Oct) | 5.25 | 5.53 | Hurricane Milton |
| 1988 (Nov) | 3.40 | 3.68 | Not identified |
| 2001 (Sep) | 3.31 | 3.59 | Not identified |
| 1982 (Jun) | 3.30 | 3.58 | Not identified |
| 2023 (Aug) | 3.19 | 3.47 | Not identified |
| 2017 (Sep) | 3.04 | 3.32 | Not identified |
| 2004 (Aug) | 2.84 | 3.12 | Not identified |
| 1985 (Aug) | 2.77 | 3.05 | Not identified |
| 2020 (Nov) | 2.69 | 2.97 | Not identified |
Highest water level listed in NOAA's monthly summary for each year, in feet, using only the 45 years with all 12 months published. The event column is our match of the date to a named storm: NOAA does not label causes, and Ian and Milton are the only two we are confident about. Storm surge is a one-off event, not a normal tide.
Highest water each year, feet above MHHW. Two bars tower over the rest; 2022 and 2024 were storm years.
What this means for a seawall decision, and what it does not
The gauge cannot tell you how high your cap should be. That elevation comes from your engineer's design and the City's permit review for your site, which also consider your canal, the wall's age and local rules. For how permits work, see our Cape Coral seawall permit guide.
What the data supports
- Relative sea level at this gauge has risen steadily since 1965.
- Flood-level days are most frequent in recent years.
- The highest water came from storms, not everyday tides.
What it cannot tell you
- Water levels in your canal.
- The right cap or wall height.
- Whether your wall is sound, or what happens next.
Questions to ask a contractor and an engineer
- Who sets the cap elevation? Ask for it in writing on the plans, and which reference level it uses.
- Which design conditions did you use? Ask what water levels and storm conditions the design assumes for your canal.
- What is included? Ask for wall, cap, tiebacks and permit on separate lines, as in our replacement cost guide.
- Is the contractor licensed and insured? See how to choose a seawall contractor.
Not advice: this page is information, not engineering or flood-insurance advice. For elevation, flood zone or coverage questions, ask a licensed engineer, surveyor or your insurance agent.
Sources and method
All figures come from NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS), public-domain US government data. The script tools/feed/noaa-sealevel.mjs in our repository reproduces every number.
- Citation. NOAA CO-OPS, station 8725520 (Fort Myers, FL), queried 2026-10-25.
- Trend. NOAA sea level trends data (sealvltrends): 1.43 inches per decade, error 0.08, 04/15/1965 to 12/15/2025.
- Datums and flood levels. NOAA station metadata: datums.json (epoch 1983-2001, NAVD88) and floodlevels.json (NOS minor, moderate, major).
- Flood days. NOAA high-tide flooding annual counts (htf_annual) for 2000 to 2025; 2026 is incomplete and left out.
- Highest water. NOAA monthly mean product (datum MSL, feet, GMT), highest value per month, taking the maximum for each year. Feet above MHHW subtract 0.69; NAVD88 subtracts 0.41 from the MSL reading, both from the datums table.
Limits: one gauge on a river, not your canal. Years with missing monthly data are skipped, so an older year could have had a higher reading we cannot see. Flood-day counts include storm days. We make no forecast. Read the repair versus replacement guide, then get itemized quotes.
Frequently asked questions
How fast is sea level rising in Cape Coral?
NOAA's Fort Myers tide gauge (station 8725520), the nearest long-running water-level gauge, shows a relative sea level trend of 1.43 inches per decade, plus or minus 0.08, for April 1965 to December 2025. That is about 3.6 millimeters a year. We do not project forward; NOAA's own trend is the only figure we use.
Is the Fort Myers gauge in Cape Coral?
No. It is on the Caloosahatchee River at Fort Myers, a few miles from Cape Coral. It is the nearest long-running NOAA water-level gauge we found in NOAA's station list. Water in a Cape Coral canal can rise and fall differently from the river, so treat the gauge as a regional guide, not a reading for your property.
What was the highest water level at the Fort Myers gauge?
In NOAA's monthly summaries, the highest was in September 2022, 7.24 feet above mean higher-high water (7.52 feet above NAVD88). The month matches Hurricane Ian. Storm surge is a different event from everyday tides and is shown separately on this page.
How many high-tide flooding days does Fort Myers get?
NOAA counts days when water reaches its minor flood threshold, 1.69 feet above mean higher-high water at this station. The count was 0 to 8 days a year from 2000 through 2025, with 20 days across 2020 to 2025 versus 12 across 2000 to 2009. Only a few of those days were storm days.
What height should my seawall cap be?
We cannot say. The cap elevation is set by your engineer's design and the City's permit review, based on your site. This page shows what a regional gauge recorded; it is not a design height and not engineering advice.
Does this page predict future flooding?
No. We show NOAA's published trend and observed water levels only. We do not extend them into forecasts.