Storm surge evacuation orders should be immediately heeded. A storm surge can travel through bays and up rivers - basically any body of water on or near shore. During Hurricane Ike, the surge moved nearly 50 kilometres (30 miles) inland in some locations. It can push an incredible distance beyond the coast. The depth of a storm surge can rise quickly - from centimetres to a meter or more in a matter of minutes. However, ocean bottom topography, tides, waves and freshwater input from rivers affect the water level rise during a storm surge. Strong winds in a tropical cyclone or a sever mid-latitude storm are their primary cause. What is a storm surge?Ī storm surge is an abnormal rise of water generated by a storm. Mitigating the risks, increasing resilience, preparing populations and providing early warnings represent major challenges for meteorologists, hydrologists, oceanographers, emergency managers and policymakers. Projections of extreme storm surge levels along Europe, Springer 2016 Population densities are increasing in coastal areas, sea level is rising and climate change is expected to heighten the frequency and intensity of the extreme weather events that cause storm surge – the lives and livelihoods of millions of people living in low-lying, highly populated areas are under threat.įurther findings show that overall, storm surge levels in Europe are projected to increase on average by around 15% by 2100 under a high-emissions scenario and that climate change will result in higher seas not only driven by sea level rise, but also by increased storminess. However, even with the most effective warning systems available, the potential for large numbers of fatalities remains. In 2013, some 6 300 people lost their lives due to the Hurricane Haiyan/Yolanda storm surge at landfall in the Philippines. Improvements in forecasting and warning systems have significantly reduced the toll in human lives lost due to storm surge in recent years. In 1970, a massive storm surge left 300 000 people dead in the coastal wetlands of Bangladesh. Storm surge from Hurricane Haiyan in the Philippines left buildings destroyed, trees up-rooted, cars piled on top of each other and many homeless.

Lost in the storm