Snap the Shore, Face the Future: Enter to Win the New Hampshire King Tide Contest, November 14-17, 2020

Portsmouth, NH – The New Hampshire Coastal Adaptation Workgroup (CAW) announces the return of the New Hampshire King Tide Contest on November 14-17, 2020, and is inviting members of the public to submit photos and videos documenting the higher-than-average tides expected along New Hampshire’s coast. The King Tide Contest aims to enhance public understanding of the possible effects of sea-level rise and help communities visualize and plan for future coastal flooding impacts.

Tides are the regular rise and fall of the sea caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun and their position relative to the earth. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) High Tide Bulletin for Fall 2020, extra high tides are forecast to occur in New Hampshire on November 14-17, 2020 largely because the new moon will be positioned closest to the earth (a phenomenon called a “perigean spring tide” and casually referred to as one of several “King Tides” that occur annually). Sea level is also generally higher in the early fall months in the Northeast due to warmer, expanding ocean water and changes in weather patterns, which contribute to these extra high tides. Official NOAA Tide Predictions indicate that the mid-morning and early afternoon high tides during the contest period will exceed 10 feet at the Hampton Harbor tide gauge in Hampton, N.H., and 11 feet at the Fort Point tide gauge in New Castle, N.H.   

Tidal water levels are increasing with sea-level rise due to the increased melting of land-based glaciers and ice sheets, and the expansion of ocean water as it warms. Paying attention to the effects of King Tides each year helps us better understand how sea-level rise will impact New Hampshire’s coastal communities and the state’s economy more regularly in the future. The November 14-17, 2020 King Tides may cause coastal flooding, especially in low-lying areas, especially if the extra high tides coincide with rainy and/or windy weather conditions. King Tide Contest participants are urged to exercise caution and avoid existing and potentially hazardous conditions; obey all road closures, barricades, and other public access restrictions; respect private property; and follow CDC COVID-19 guidelines.

Important contest details are summarized below. For complete contest rules, terms, and conditions, please visit the NHCAW website.

Contest Submission Period:

• Begins: November 14, 2020 at 12:00 am ET
• Ends: November 17, 2020 at 11:59 pm ET

What to Enter: Entrants can submit a total of three (3) photos, videos, or other forms of creative media in the following contest categories.

• Atlantic – Photos showcasing the vulnerability or resilience of people, places, and things impacted by high tide flooding in New Hampshire’s Atlantic communities: Portsmouth, New Castle, Rye, North Hampton, Hampton Falls, Hampton and Seabrook.
• Great Bay – Photos showcasing the vulnerability or resilience of people, places, and things impacted by high tide flooding in New Hampshire’s Great Bay communities: Newington, Greenland, Stratham, Exeter, Newfields, Newmarket, Durham, Madbury, Dover and Rollinsford.
• Creative – Digital content that creatively showcases the vulnerability or resilience of people, places, and things impacted by high tide flooding in New Hampshire’s Atlantic of Great Bay communities. Examples of eligible entries include: aerial photos, videos, time-lapse footage, before-and-after (i.e., low-tide/high-tide) comparisons, memes, costumes, staged sets, etc.

How to Enter: Submit entries on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or by filling out an online form available on the NHCAW website. Facebook users must post their entries directly on CAW's Facebook Page @nhcoastaladaptation with both the contest hashtag #kingtidenh2020 and one category hashtag: #atlantic, #greatbay, or #creative. Instagram and Twitter users may post their entries from any public Instagram or Twitter account with both the contest hashtag #kingtidenh2020 and one category hashtag: #atlantic, #greatbay, or #creative. All entries submitted via social media should also include a caption and the location where the extra high tide was documented.

Winner Selection and Prizes: One winning entry will be selected in each of the Contest Categories. Contest winners will be determined through a public voting process. Beginning November 18, 2020 at 12:00 pm ET, members of the public are invited to visit https://www.nhcaw.org/kingtidenh2020/ and vote for their favorite entries in each of the contest categories. Limit one vote per entry per person/email address. The entries that receive the most votes by the end of the voting period on December 2, 2020, at 12:00 pm ET will win a $100 gift card (provided by donations) to a local restaurant of the winner’s choosing. Winners will be announced no later than December 4, 2020.
 
For all contest updates, follow @nhcaw on Twitter and @nhcoastaladaptation on Facebook and Instagram.

For questions, please contact Nathalie Morison with the NHDES Coastal Program at nathalie.morison@des.nh.gov, or at (603) 559-0029.

The New Hampshire Coastal Adaptation Workgroup (CAW) is a collaboration of 20+ organizations, including the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, working to ensure that New Hampshire's coastal watershed communities are resourceful, ready, and resilient to extreme weather and long-term climate change.