It is a well-known fact that tropical storms and hurricanes can create harmful winds, cause heavy rains and lead to deadly floods. But, less obvious, the storm surges they create are equally devastating and often the greatest threat to coastal life and property.
Storm surges are an abnormal rise in water produced by storms, in addition to the predicted astronomical tides. According to the National Hurricane Center.. This occurs when the force of the wind, which periodically moves around the storm, pushes the water towards the shore.
The height of the storm surge depends on the magnitude of the storm, forward movement, approach angle, and coastline depth, said meteorologist and National Hurricane Center spokesman Dennis Feltgen. A storm course change of just 20 miles can make a difference, he said, and the one-mile coastline along the eastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico is susceptible to storm surges from tropical cyclones.
“Storm surges have historically been the leading cause of death from tropical cyclones,” Vertonghen said.
In 2017, the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center began issuing storm surge surveillance and warnings along the East Coast and Gulf, and in 2019 to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Since 2017, 21 tropical cyclones, five of which are major hurricanes, have landed, prompting storm surge surveillance or warnings, he said.
In 2021, Hurricane Ida roared Louisiana as a Category 4 storm, causing dangerous storm surges and testing the city’s system to withstand catastrophic floods. Some areas along the coast experienced storm surges as high as 14 feet. According to the report from the center.. In Louisiana, Aida’s winds and storm surges are estimated to have caused about $ 55 billion in damage.
In 2008, Ike, a category 2 hurricane that landed near Galveston Island, Texas, generated a surge up to 20 feet above normal tide levels. Property damage was estimated at $ 24.9 billion. And before that, the 2005 Hurricane Katrina caused high tides 25-28 feet above normal tide levels, causing about $ 75 billion in damage along the New Orleans region and the Mississippi coast.