Even then the moon merely reached its closest approach of the month. On December 22, the moon will be at its nearest point of the year. It's the kind of event that drove primitive cultures bonkers. And there's more. Add a low-pressure storm at sea to the day, and coastal damage will be unusually likely.
Oceans act like the mercury in a barometer, rising in response to reduced air pressure.
Accompanying onshore winds lift the waters much farther. A little meteorological nudge could push strong tides over the edge. Even earthquakes occur more often during strong tides, although it's a weak effect. A full moon will rise just as the sun goes down at its leftmost position of the year along the horizon. This exceptionally plump moon will seem 14 percent wider than it appeared when it was at apogee, its farthest point from Earth, on December 8.