Hurricane Hazards In Depth

157 mph in Category 5 storms
not as fast as tornadoes, but much more widespread
wind velocities are higher on the “right side” of the cyclone
- speed of storm and wind speed
- highest storms surges also occur along the right side

ocean water pushed towards the shore by strong winds (95% of surge)
- rough, turbulent waves
- especially close to and on the right side of the eyewall
eye is a low-pressure zone; seawater builds up (5% of surge)
especially bad if it coincides with the high tide
- water level increased by up to 30 feet
water moves inland which leads to flooding
Hurricane Katrina (category 5) in Gulfport, MS (August, 29, 2005)
- peak surge estimated at 28 feet in this location
59% of deaths in the US related to hurricanes from 1970-1999 were due to inland flooding
- related to storm surge and heavy rainfall

often after passage of the hurricane
dying hurricane holds massive volumes of water
causes inland flooding
can be caused by low-intensity hurricanes (like a Category 1) or tropical storms