Sea Level at Fourth Street, St. Petersburg, FL: ~1.02 Feet (NOAA)
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the mean sea level (MSL) at Fourth Street in St. Petersburg, Florida is approximately 1.02 feet (0.31 meters) above the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD29) / NAVD88 equivalent.
Context
- St. Petersburg is on the Pinellas Peninsula, surrounded by Tampa Bay and Gulf of Mexico.
- Fourth Street (US-92/FL-687) runs north-south through the city; elevation varies slightly but remains very low — mostly 1–4 ft above MSL.
- NOAA tide station 8726520 (St. Petersburg) provides real-time water levels.
Implications
- Flood risk: King tides, storm surge (even tropical storms), heavy rain + high tide = frequent nuisance flooding.
- Sea-level rise: ~3 mm/yr locally; 1 ft by 2050 plausible — threatens low-lying corridors like 4th St.
- Infrastructure: Seawalls, pump stations, raised roads (e.g., 4th St N reconstruction) are adaptation measures.
Data Access
At ~1 foot above mean sea level, Fourth Street is on the front line of Florida's coastal future.