Storm Surge

The combination of storm surge, battering waves, and high tide is the hurricane's most dangerous killer.

The storm surge is a great dome of water, often 50-100 miles wide, that sweeps across the coastline near where the hurricane's eye makes landfall. The surge, aided by the hammering effect of breaking waves, acts like a giant bulldozer sweeping everything in its path. This is the most dangerous part of a hurricane. Nine out of ten fatalities are caused by the storm surge.

The formation and propagation of a storm surge are determined mainly by the strength of the storm, bottom conditions where the surge comes ashore, and the position of the storm center in relation to the shore.

When a storm surge is added to the normal astronomical tide, a storm tide is created. Computer models indicate a 28 foot storm tide could develop in Tampa Bay during a major hurricane.