Storm surge

A storm surge is an onshore rush of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically a tropical cyclone. Storm surge is caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea level. Low pressure at the center of a weather system also has a small secondary effect, as can the bathymetry of the body of water. It is this combined effect of low pressure and persistent wind over a shallow water body which is the most common cause of storm surge flooding problems.

Related Topics:
Tropical cyclone - Sea level - Bathymetry

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Storm surges are particularly damaging when they occur at the time of a high tide, combining the effects of the surge and the tide. This increases the difficulty of predicting the magnitude of a storm surge since it requires weather forecasts to be accurate to within a few hours.

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The most extreme storm surge events occur as a result of extreme weather systems, such as tropical cyclones, but storm surges can also be produced by less powerful storms.

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The highest storm surge ever recorded was produced by the 1899 Bathurst Bay Hurricane, which caused a 13 meters (43 feet) storm surge at Bathurst Bay, Australia. In the United States, the greatest recorded storm surge was generated by 2005's Hurricane Katrina, which produced a storm surge 9 meters (30 feet) high in the town of Biloxi, Mississippi. The worst storm surge, in terms of loss of life, was the 1970 Bhola cyclone and in general the Bay of Bengal is particularly prone to tidal surges.

Related Topics:
1899 - Bathurst Bay - Australia - United States - 2005 - Hurricane Katrina - Biloxi, Mississippi - 1970 Bhola cyclone - Bay of Bengal

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