storm surges
Hurricane-driven sea rise
Storm surges are abnormal rises in sea level caused by storms, particularly hurricanes.
Strong winds push ocean water toward shore while low atmospheric pressure allows the sea to bulge upward.
The combination can raise water levels many feet above normal tides, flooding coastal areas: The storm surge caused more damage than the hurricane's winds.
Storm surge is the leading cause of hurricane-related deaths.
- hurricanesPowerful tropical rotating windstorms
- coastsEdges of continents
- coastal communitiesSettlements along the shore
- inundationOverwhelming surge of water
- coastal floodingSeawater overtaking shore areas
floods · sea level rise · submersion · tropical cyclones · extreme weather · water levels · barrier islands · rising waters · coastal erosion · salt marshes · high tide · swells · mangroves · disaster preparedness · continental shelf · emergency response · levee · flood zone
- coastal weatherdrizzle, overcast, ocean breeze, cloudy skies, rainfall
- coastscliffs, shoreline, sandy shore, coves, bays
- coastal geologycliffs, sea cliffs, coastal cliffs, limestone cliffs, chalk cliffs
- North Seaoffshore drilling, oil platforms, oil platform, offshore wind farms, wind farms
- ocean processesocean currents, currents, waves, tides, El Nino
- sea phenomenawaves, tides, currents, rogue waves, upwelling