NOAA Tides and Currents

Get Extreme Water Levels

noaa_get_extreme_water_levels

Read-onlyIdempotent

Get NOAA's extreme water level exceedance statistics for a station: the annual exceedance probability levels (e.g. the 1%-annual-chance "100-year" level) and historical extreme events, computed from the station's verified record.

Use for flood risk questions ("what water level has a 1% chance per year at X?"). Levels are relative to the station's datums for the 1983–2001 epoch. Only long-record stations have this product.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "station": "<station>"
    },
    "name": "noaa_get_extreme_water_levels"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`units`	No	Unit system. english: feet, °F, knots (wind AND currents), nautical miles. metric: meters, °C, m/s for wind but cm/s for currents, kilometers. Air pressure is millibars and salinity is PSU in BOTH systems.	english
`station`	Yes	Station ID. Water-level/met stations use 7-digit numeric IDs (e.g. "9414290" San Francisco); current stations use alphanumeric IDs (e.g. "cb0102"). Find stations with noaa_search_stations or noaa_find_nearest_stations.
`levelType`	No	High extremes (default) or low.
`extremeType`	No	Extreme statistics basis: annual (default) or monthly extremes.
`response_format`	No	Output format: "markdown" for a readable summary table, "json" for the complete structured payload.	markdown

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`_response`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedNov 11, 2026
- removedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
- changedOutput schema / additionalProperties
```
Previous value: -trueNew value: +{}
```

Changed1 schema field changedSep 29, 2026

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "additionalProperties": true,
+  "properties": {
+    "_response": {
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "properties": {
+        "contractVersion": {
+          "const": "2026-09-29.1",
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "status": {
+          "const": "complete",
+          "type": "string"
+        }
+      },
+      "required": [
+        "contractVersion",
+        "status"
+      ],
+      "type": "object"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "_response"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

First observedJul 8, 2026

TDQS

A4.2/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare this a safe, idempotent, non-destructive read, so the description's job is to add operational context, which it does: results are tied to the station's datums for the 1983–2001 epoch, and stations without a long record lack the product. The failure mode for an ineligible station (empty result vs. error) is not stated.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Three short sentences with the product definition first, the use case second, and the datum/availability caveats last. Nothing is redundant and every sentence contributes information an agent needs.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With an output schema present and full parameter coverage, the description needs only to frame intent and caveats, which it does well. The one gap is what to expect when a station lacks the long record or how low-basis extremes differ in practice.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so units, levelType, extremeType and response_format are already fully documented in the schema. The description's example implicitly connects "1% annual chance" to the annuals basis, but it adds no syntax, default or edge-case meaning beyond the structured fields.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description names a specific verb and resource: annual exceedance probability levels and historical extreme events, computed from a station's verified record. The 1%-annual-chance "100-year" example pins down exactly what product comes back, which clearly separates it from siblings like noaa_get_top_ten_water_levels or noaa_get_tide_predictions.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It gives a concrete when-to-use trigger in the form of a flood-risk question, and adds a real precondition: only long-record stations carry this product. It does not name an alternative for when this is the wrong choice, so an agent must infer the boundary from the sibling names alone.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

All NOAA Tides and Currents tools Inspect

Try in Browser

One endpoint for every MCP toolRayrun runs every MCP server behind one URL and holds the credentials. Each call is decided per client, tool, and argument, then recorded.ray.runAd

Glama MCP Gateway

Add one secure layer between your agents and this server.