Scientists are concerned a so-called moon 'wobble' could have a significant impact on coastal communities in the 2030s.
NASA has predicted record flooding next decade.
The space agency says a 'wobble' in the Moon's orbit, combined with rising sea levels due to climate change, will lead to devastating floods on Earth.
So-called nuisance floods will become more frequent and irregular by the mid-2030s, according to the NASA study published in the Nature journal.
Researchers said: "The increase would be concentrated along the continental Pacific, Pacific Island and Gulf of Mexico coastlines, which are more vulnerable to [sea-level rise] due to relatively narrow sea-level distributions.
"The mid-2030s, in particular, may see the onset of rapid increases in the frequency of [high-tide flooding] in multiple US coastal regions."
The moon 'wobble' is a regular phenomenon reflected in the moon's 18.6-year lunar cycle - a cycle that naturally influences the levels of both high and low tides.
This time, however, the impacts of higher tides may be more severe due to the ongoing changes in global sea levels caused by climate change.
Leo Enright, space commentator, spoke to Newstalk Breakfast about what all this means.
He said: “This is not a new phenomenon - we’ve known about the complexities of the moon’s orbit since the 1700s.
“What scientists have pointed out in this report is the effect of these changes is to increase sea levels at some times in the moon’s orbit, and reduce sea levels at other times. It’s an 18 year cycle.
“What NASA is now predicting is that in the 2030s, tides will be higher than they usually are. Scientists are concerned this will have a particular effect on coastal communities, because of the rise in global sea levels that we already see."
