Nature Coast · FL
Hernando Beach
A canal town carved out of the Gulf marsh in the 1960s.
- Population
- 2,452 (2020 census)
- Built
- 1959–1965
- Helene surge
- About 8 feet (2024)
- Tides
- Two highs, two lows, uneven
Then
- 1959–1965
Charlie Sasser develops the community, dredging deep, wide canals straight to the Gulf.
- 1971
New wetland rules halt further building, and a legal fight ends with the surrounding marsh preserved.
- 2024
Hurricane Helene pushes about eight feet of water through the canals.
Now
Shallow flats just past the canals draw boaters, kayakers and paddleboarders. Weeki Wachee Springs is a few miles inland.
On the water
From NOAA's predictions for Hernando Beach, Rocky Creek, Little Pine I. Bay, FL over the next 365 days. Heights are in feet above mean lower low water (MLLW).
- Pattern
- Two highs and two lows a day, one noticeably bigger than the other
- Typical daily range
- 3.0 ft
- Biggest swing
- 4.7 ft on Dec 24
- Smallest swing
- 1.6 ft on Dec 2
- Highest high
- 3.9 ft, Aug 2 at 1:46 PM
- Lowest low
- −1.3 ft, Dec 24 at 9:10 AM
5 tide stations around Hernando Beach
- Hernando Beach, Rocky Creek, Little Pine I. Bay0.7 mi
- Aripeka, Hammock Creek3.1 mi
- Bayport3.9 mi
- Fillmans Bayou4.5 mi
- Hudson, Hudson Creek8.5 mi