Brief communication: Tidal timing and minutes to act during the 15 August 2026 Flores tsunami

The 15 August 2026 Flores tsunami provides a case for evaluating how tidal timing can alter inundation. We reconstruct the event with coupled Delft3D-SFINCS simulations constrained by post-event observations. We then simulate the same tsunami at high tide (+0.7 m relative to mean sea level, MSL), representing the spring high tide recorded on the event day. Relative to the 3.81 km2 reconstructed-event inundation above highest astronomical tide (HAT), high tide increases inundated area to 11.84 km2, a 3.1-fold increase. These results support tide-informed hazard maps, evacuation planning, community education, and preparedness close to tsunami sources.