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Storm surge no tsunami, but can be fast and deadly

MIAMI — The storm surge is being called dangerous and life-threatening, but what exactly is it?

The Tampa skyline is pictured across Hillsborough Bay ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma in Tampa, Florida. Photo: Reuters

The Tampa skyline is pictured across Hillsborough Bay ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma in Tampa, Florida. Photo: Reuters

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MIAMI — The storm surge is being called dangerous and life-threatening, but what exactly is it?

It is not a wall of water or a tsunami. Simply put, hurricane winds push water towards shore. It can happen quickly and far from a storm’s centre, inundating areas that do not typically flood. Storm surge does not just come from the ocean. It can come from sounds, bays and lakes, sometimes well inland.

Large hurricanes tend to create greater storm surge over a broader area, and coastal features such as bays can act like funnels and back water up into rivers and canals, said Mr Jamie Rhome, head of the United States National Hurricane Centre’s storm surge unit. “This is going to sneak up on people,” added Mr Rhome.

Forecasters say it kills more people than the strong winds. Florida Governor Rick Scott said: “(It) will cover your house.”

The National Hurricane Centre forecasted water levels up to 4m above ground for the Florida Keys island chain and parts of the state’s Gulf coast, along with up to 63cm of rain in the Keys.

Much of Florida’s south-west coast is uninhabited swampland, including a large section of Everglades National Park. “The Everglades won’t stop the potential flooding to inhabited areas,” said Mr Rhome.

North of the Everglades lies Naples, an upscale town of about 22,000 that is also the home of the Florida governor.

The hurricane centre’s storm surge simulation maps, showing deep inundation for Naples, worried Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach. “Look at Naples, the entire town of Naples is under water,’’ he said. “That is horrible.’’

Storm surge has accounted for half the US deaths from hurricanes, tropical storms and cyclones in the past half-century, showed a study.

The surge helped destroy nearly half the structures along a 64km stretch of the Florida Keys during the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, which killed more than 400 people, including World War I veterans working on a railway project.

Storm surge flooding up to 8.5m above normal tide levels was associated with Hurricane Katrina in 2005, directly or indirectly causing at least 1,500 deaths.

Even tropical storms can cause major coastal flooding. Hurricane Sandy lost its tropical characteristics before making landfall in 2012, but its enormous size drove catastrophic storm surge onto the New Jersey and New York coastlines. AP

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