When a storm or hurricane brews over the sea, the term 'Storm Surge' surfaces. What is this menace? Where does it come from? How dangerous is it? Does it cause coastal floods? Is it harmful? Currently, Hurricane Milton poses a threat in America, potentially causing 3 to 15 feet of storm surge.
Here’s a
graphical video
from The Weather Channel; watch and understand what a storm surge entails.
When fierce winds meet low atmospheric pressure, the ocean surges, creating tumultuous waves that charge towards the shore. This event inundates coastal towns with seawater, sometimes up to 20 feet deep. This is known as a storm surge.
A violent storm with low atmospheric pressure signifies either an impending or ongoing hurricane. Storm surges unleash formidable waves that rapidly engulf everything in their path. They can displace houses, saturate foundations, and wreak havoc on coastal defenses.
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Storms transform the seas’ hues as they push vast amounts of water landward, creating storm surges either gradually or suddenly, depending on the storm’s size and power. The resulting floods may last from hours to a couple of days, subsiding only when the storm passes.
Storm surges originate when storm-force winds collide with water in the open sea. These winds propel vast quantities of seawater in a single direction. A low-pressure system can elevate the water slightly, combining with these conditions to generate storm surges that advance towards shorelines.
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Near-shore depths significantly impact the threat level. A gradual rather than steep ocean floor increases danger, as seen in Louisiana and Texas during Hurricane Katrina. Here, a catastrophic storm surge submerged New Orleans. During Hurricane Ike, storms unleashed 15 to 17 feet of water, submerging hundreds of homes in Texas and Bolivar.
Storm surges wreak havoc when they invade bays or rivers akin to oil poured into a container. The disaster magnifies exponentially, as seen in the Bay of Bengal, where surges flood numerous regions as rivers act as funnels.
Storm surges might exacerbate when coinciding with high tides, intensified by the gravitational pull of the moon or sun. Knowing the timing of local sea tides during storms or hurricanes is crucial, as high tides already lift water levels, which, when amplified by a storm, become even more terrifying.
