The latest king tides have arrived in South Florida, and for business owners along the coast, the threat is more than just wet streets—it’s lost revenue and structural damage that can take months to fix. That’s why Danto Builders, a commercial contractor with over four decades of experience, is stepping in with new resources aimed at helping local businesses prepare for what’s becoming an annual crisis.
Danto Builders releases Meet the Expert series with oceanographer & meteorologist, and additional flooding resources for businesses & commercial property owners
Everyone watched the water spill onto the Broadwalk. I watch what comes through drains and cracks, where real damage starts. King tides are on the calendar, and what you can expect, you can plan for.”— Craig Danto
The South Florida Water Management District’s latest outlook warns that east coast tide levels may remain above the National Weather Service’s moderate flooding threshold in the coming days, with some areas approaching the major flooding threshold. This follows a record-setting September: the Sept. 27 king tide, amplified by a nor’easter to the north, became the highest ever recorded at NOAA’s Port Everglades tide gauge—a station that has been in operation since February 2018, according to Dr. Nancy Gassman, Fort Lauderdale’s Chief Resilience Officer. That reading surpassed even the levels seen during Hurricane Nicole in 2022 and forced the closure of two miles of beachfront A1A in Fort Lauderdale. And the season isn’t over yet: additional king tide windows are forecast for Nov. 6–9, Nov. 23–26, and Dec. 22–27.
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For business owners, the damage from September’s king tide went beyond what was visible on the surface. From Pompano Beach down to Miami Beach, streets were submerged and business owners scrambled to sandbag their doors. Every hour a shop stays closed is revenue that simply never returns.
One of the most alarming scenes for residents and business owners alike unfolded in Hollywood, where water covered much of the Broadwalk and seeped into several of the shops lining it. Farther inland, in South Lake, the city’s new seawall held wherever flood panels were installed, yet water still pushed up through storm drains and rose from the ground itself.
“Everyone watched the water spill onto the Broadwalk and into the streets along A1A,” said Craig Danto, CEO of Danto Builders, a design-build commercial contractor that has been tackling South Florida building challenges for more than 40 years. “I watch the water that comes up: through floor drains, through cracks in the slab, through every pipe and conduit that enters a building. That’s where the real damage starts. King tides are on the calendar, and as the seas rise, the flooding that comes with them is something you can expect. And what you can expect, you can plan for.”
Flooding is not unfamiliar territory for Danto Builders, which previously solved a similar problem when the courts at Coral Oaks, a tennis club and training academy in Pinecrest, ended up underwater. “Unfortunately, this kind of flooding is becoming a more common issue for businesses,” said Debbie Danto, Owner and Chief Operating Officer of Danto Builders. “NOAA projects roughly one foot to 14 inches of sea-level rise along Florida’s Atlantic coast by 2050, compared with 2020 levels. For owners and developers, that’s a clear signal to plan for water now.”
To help business owners better understand what’s happening with flooding, Danto Builders has released its new Meet the Expert Video Series, featuring oceanographer and meteorologist Alec Bogdanoff, Ph.D., a member of the Danto Builders extended team. Bogdanoff is CEO and Co-Founder of Brizaga, a Fort Lauderdale civil and coastal engineering firm that specializes in flooding and sea level rise. Available on YouTube and DantoBuilders.com, the series walks viewers through South Florida’s flooding issues, explains why they happen, and offers practical insights that can help.
In addition to the video series, Danto Builders is offering no-charge consultations for local business owners affected by the flooding, as well as out-of-state owners considering a South Florida expansion. They recommend that owners start by noting exactly where water entered: the door, a floor drain, or the slab, and have provided a full checklist and other resources for restaurant and retail owners on DantoBuilders.com.
The goal is to help businesses recover from the effects of this season’s king tides and develop a plan for minimizing damage in the years ahead—whether that means a structural renovation, a new buildout, a close examination of where water is getting in from below, or developing a plan for a new location.
“If the king tides closed your doors, a conversation is a good place to start,” said Debbie Danto. “Bring your photos and your questions, and we’ll sit down together and map out what it would take to keep it from happening again.”
About Danto Builders
Danto Builders is a South Florida commercial general contractor and design-build firm with more than 40 years of experience. Serving Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, it handles ground-up construction, renovations and buildouts across diverse commercial sectors. DantoBuilders.com.
Tracee Jones, Fractional CMO
Danto Builders
+1 954-229-2006
tj@realedgelabs.com
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Oceanographer & Meteorologist Explains: King Tides and Building in South Florida | Danto Builders
Why it matters: As sea levels continue to rise and king tides become more intense, South Florida’s business owners can no longer afford to treat flooding as a rare event. Proactive planning—whether through structural renovations, better drainage assessments, or expert consultations—is becoming essential for protecting both property and revenue. The tools Danto Builders is offering now could serve as a model for how commercial property owners across the region adapt to a wetter future.
