# 4592
Today is day two of Hurricane Preparedness week, with today’s emphasis on deadly storm surge.
I suppose I could tell you of my encounters with modest 6-8 foot storm surges, or warn you that depending on wind strengths and the terrain, that a storm surge can travel several miles in from the coast . . . but there is nothing I can say that would have the impact of this 2-minute video hosted on Youtube.
If this video isn’t enough to convince you to evacuate low-lying coastal areas during a hurricane, nothing will.
A fifteen to twenty foot storm surge isn’t uncommon with a Category 3 storm, and when the winds, forward speed of the storm, and topography of the coastline are all favorable . . . a twenty-five foot surge or more is possible.
For more on the threat of storm surge, visit the National Hurricane Center’ Storm surge page.
"The greatest potential for loss of life related to a hurricane is from the storm surge."
Storm surge is simply water that is pushed toward the shore by the force of the winds swirling around the storm. This advancing surge combines with the normal tides to create the hurricane storm tide, which can increase the mean water level 15 feet or more. In addition, wind driven waves are superimposed on the storm tide.
This rise in water level can cause severe flooding in coastal areas, particularly when the storm tide coincides with the normal high tides. Because much of the United States' densely populated Atlantic and Gulf Coast coastlines lie less than 10 feet above mean sea level, the danger from storm tides is tremendous.
The level of surge in a particular area is also determined by the slope of the continental shelf. A shallow slope off the coast (right, top picture) will allow a greater surge to inundate coastal communities. Communities with a steeper continental shelf (right, bottom picture) will not see as much surge inundation, although large breaking waves can still present major problems. Storm tides, waves, and currents in confined harbors severely damage ships, marinas, and pleasure boats.
Other blogs in this year’s National Hurricane Preparedness Week series include:
The Crossroads Of The Atlantic Storm Season
You Don’t Have To Live On The Coast
