Storm surge is a dangerous event during a hurricane, where furious winds are driving deadly flows of water from our seas to our shores. Conditions can change in the blink of an eye. Don't take unnecessary risks during a storm. As a reminder, emergency managers want us to run from the water and hide from the wind. When a hurricane slams our coast, it's important to be aware of all the dangers. This data helps determine which areas may need to be evacuated. SLOSH uses water depths, land elevations, and barriers to the flow of water to compute surges as they move inland. The greater the fetch (area over which the wind is blowing - size of storm) the larger the waves. The greater the duration of the wind (or storm) the larger the waves. The greater the wind speed the larger the waves. The model depends critically on the hurricane's track, intensity, and size. Wave height in the open ocean is determined by three factors. They use a computer model called SLOSH to predict storm surge heights. While we can't prevent storm surge, we do have a system that can warn us of the incoming threat.Īs a hurricane develops over the open ocean, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center closely monitor its path to evaluate the risk of a coastal strike. As the waters move inland, rivers and lakes may be affected, and add to the rising flood levels. The pounding waves can take out boats and buildings. It can severely erode beaches and coastal highways. Storm surge combined with waves can cause extensive damage. This advancing surge combines with the normal tides and can increase the water level by 30 feet or more. Storm surge is water from the ocean that is pushed toward the shore by the force of the winds swirling around the hurricane. The greatest threat to life actually comes from the water - in the form of storm surge. Powerful winds aren't the only deadly force during a hurricane. See for yourself with this video from NOAA's Ocean Today. But did you know that the greatest threat to life actually comes from the water - in the form of storm surge. You know that powerful winds are destructive and can be deadly during a hurricane. Hurricane season runs from June 1 - November 30. NARRATOR: This is Making Waves from NOAA's National Ocean Service.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |