Home / Editor's Pick /

The deadliest: How to stay safe from storm surge

07:30 PM
September 15, 2023

The deadliest threat
How to stay safe from storm surge

With any landfalling tropical storms or hurricanes, one of the threats will be storm surge. Do you know how to stay safe when it threatens your area?

The final trajectory of Hurricane Ian in 2022 brought a storm surge of at least 13.8 feet in Fort Myers Beach. This was the highest surge ever recorded in Southwest Florida's history of 150 years. For reference, Hurricane Charley produced half of the surge in the same area in 2004, due to its smaller size.

Charley Ian

Florida's elongated shape puts it at great risk even when a storm doesn't necessarily hit the state directly.

Run from the water, hide from the wind

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina slammed into southeastern Louisiana. Storm surge combined with a failed levee system resulted in the death of at least 1,500 people. Some portions of the coast observed inundation up to 28 feet!

What is storm surge?

Storm surge is an abnormal rise of ocean water generated by an approaching low-pressure system, often a hurricane. As the storm nears the coast, water is pushed onshore by its strong winds. The inundation causing storm surge, which could be several feet high, is measured above the local astronomical tide.

Several factors can make a storm surge more susceptible than others. One of these is, of course, storm intensity. Stronger storms have higher winds that can exert more force over the ocean, pushing more water inland.

Another factor is bathymetry and the continental shelf. The shape and slope of the ocean bottom can have a significant effect on storm surge. For example, water that is pushed towards the coast can ride inland easier over a shallow slope versus a steep one.

Other factors that can influence storm surge are a storm's forward speed, angle of approach to the coast, central pressure, and the shape and characteristics of coastal features such as bays and estuaries.

Forecasting storm surge

With so many moving parts, it can become quite challenging to pinpoint precisely how much storm surge an area may experience in the event of a hurricane or strong low-pressure system.

Meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center use the Sea Lake and Overland Surge from Hurricanes (SLOSH) model, which considers all the factors mentioned above to predict how much inundation an area may experience.

Staying safe from coastal inundation

The best way to prepare for storm surge is to understand your risk. If you are near the coast or in a low-lying area, you are more likely to be at risk of storm surge and should closely monitor the progress of storms. If you are in an evacuation zone and prompted to leave, it is a good idea to heed and follow guidance from your local authorities.

Remember, storm surge is just one piece of the puzzle. Heavy rain can make inundation in your area worse, while battering waves above the surge may increase damage to buildings directly along the coast.

Irene Sans
More on the topic
Night sky with Venus and Jupiter close together, clearly labelled; beneath the starry sky, the flat silhouette of a landscape can be seen.
Saturday, August 9, 2025

Heavenly rendezvous

Planet meeting in the morning sky
Dust cloud over Tucson alongside weather radar showing thunderstorms in Arizona.
Sunday, August 31, 2025

Fascinating phenomenon

Dust storm hit Phoenix last week
Split image: on the left, a bright flash of lightning in the night sky; on the right, a map of the USA with a dense distribution of lightning symbols in the south and west.
Sunday, August 3, 2025

New world record

Mega flash in the USA
All weather news
This might also interest you
Friday, August 29, 2025

Daily Briefing

Storms linger across South
Thursday, August 28, 2025

Daily Briefing

Flood risk for the Mississippi Valley
Saturday, August 30, 2025

Flood safety

Useful tips when driving in the rain
All articles
Weather & Radar

www.weatherandradar.com

instagramfacebookthreadsContact uslinkList
Privacy policy | Legal info | Accessibility statement