CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — Charlotte County is turning to new technology to improve how it tracks tides and storm surges, installing five real-time tide sensors across Charlotte Harbor.
The sensors, made by Hyfi, will be installed in different areas around the harbor including Lemon Bay, Gasparilla Island, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte and El Jobean. The county’s Water Quality Manager, Brandon Moody, said the data the sensors will collect is invaluable.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on how Charlotte County's new tide sensors will work:
“At their base level, they just measure water height,” said Moody. “The magic is in the data storage, the data collection, and the ability for people to see the data online and for the data to be translated into a value that everybody can understand and compare across the coast.”
Moody said having that data will also help the county prepare for and respond to storms and hurricanes.
“To have this data allows them to see where things are progressing in terms of the storm event,” said Moody. “Where they might need to focus search and rescue efforts depending on where the surges were highest, as well as get better organized for response activities.”
According to Moody, the sensors cost about $1500 each, which is far less than more advanced sensors that can cost tens of thousands of dollars. He said the Hyfi sensors are not the county’s end game and he is looking for funding to acquire the more advanced sensors like the ones provided by the United States Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.
Currently, there are no real-time tide sensors in Charlotte Harbor, which means boaters rely on tide predictions, which can be different from the actual tide conditions.
“We use tide charts to go out with, and sometimes you get the wind like it's blowing right now, and the wind can change the tides,” said Mark Chase with the Punta Gorda Boat Club.
Chase told Fox 4 having real-time data on what the tide conditions are will help improve boater safety, especially for sailboats.
“If the conditions change you can get higher tides than you would normally get which can affect clearances going under bridges,” said Chase. “When the wind is blowing offshore it can suck the water out and the tide can be way lower than you think which can be bad for sailboats or trawlers not being able to get out of their canals. So, having real-time information is definitely going to be helpful.”
Bob Hickey, also with the Boat Club and past President of the Punta Gorda Boaters Alliance, told Fox 4 that there used to be weather stations that relayed information to boaters, but those washed away.
“The Boaters Alliance operated two weather stations on coastguard marker four and marker two, unfortunately in the past two storms, some of the structures are gone, the equipment is gone,” said Hickey.
The Punta Gorda Boat Club building on Punta Gorda’s coast was flooded with several feet of surge and is being rebuilt. Hickey said having the sensors provide data on storm surge heights will help as the club, and other flood victims rebuild and fortify before the next storm.
“If we knew or could plan for the future, which the Boat Club is doing, were going to replace everything below what we think the next surge might be with not drywall, with something that's waterproof,” said Hickey.
The county installed the first sensors on Friday.
