A storm surge is an abnormal, transient rise in coastal water level driven primarily by storm-induced atmospheric pressure deficits and wind stress on the ocean surface, superimposed on the astronomical tide. It is characterized by the setup of water against the coastline and over continental shelves, with magnitude controlled by storm intensity, size, translation speed, track, coastal geometry, bathymetry, and background sea level. In research, storm surge is quantified using hydrodynamic models solving shallow-water or primitive equations, coupled with wave and tide models, to estimate surge height, inundation extent, and associated hydrodynamic forces for risk assessment and coastal engineering design.
A new study led by the UC Santa Cruz Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR) and East Carolina University (ECU) has found that mangroves significantly reduced storm surges and property damages during Hurricanes Irma ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 15, 2025
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Hurricane Imelda, now a Category 2 storm, was churning toward Bermuda on Wednesday with sustained winds of 100 mph (160 kph), threatening damaging waves and flooding.
Environment
Oct 1, 2025
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When people hear about hurricanes, they often focus on the category rating: Category 1 through 5, based on maximum wind speeds. But not all hurricanes with the same wind speeds are alike. Some are compact storms while others ...
Environment
Sep 20, 2025
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Along the coast, waves break with a familiar sound. The gentle swash of the surf on the seashore can lull us to sleep, while the pounding of storm surge warns us to seek shelter.
Earth Sciences
Sep 2, 2025
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Small island nations such as Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Maldives and Marshall Islands are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Rising seas, stronger storms, freshwater shortages and damaged infrastructure all threaten their ...
Environment
Aug 28, 2025
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Wind alone does not account for all hurricane-related fatalities. Storm surge and rainfall do as well. Yet the current warning system—the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale—measures a storm's strength solely by wind speed.
Earth Sciences
Aug 26, 2025
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When Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, it wasn't just another storm—it was one of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history. Entire neighborhoods disappeared, families were scattered, and lives were split into "before" and ...
Environment
Aug 25, 2025
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Hurricane Erin brought coastal flooding to parts of North Carolina and Virginia as it made its closest approach to the US mainland early Thursday.
Environment
Aug 21, 2025
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There's a popular T-shirt on Hatteras Island on the North Carolina Outer Banks that says, "One road on. One road off (sometimes)"—poking fun at the constant battle between Mother Nature and a thin ribbon of pavement connecting ...
Environment
Aug 19, 2025
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In San Francisco Bay, salt ponds created more than a century ago are reverting to marshland. Along the New York and New Jersey coasts, beaches ravaged by Superstorm Sandy underwent extensive restoration. In Alabama, a rebuilt ...
Environment
Aug 17, 2025
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