What causes the massive storm surge that comes with a hurricane?
Dear Mike, There is an excellent web site on this topic: Storm Surge To quote: “Storm surge is simply water that is pushed toward the shore by the force of the winds swirling around the storm. This advancing surge combines with the normal tides to create the hurricane storm tide, which can increase the mean water level 15 feet or more. In addition, wind driven waves are superimposed on the storm tide. … The level of surge in a particular area is also determined by the slope of the continental shelf. A shallow slope off the coast … will allow a greater surge to inundate coastal communities. Communities with a steeper continental shelf … will not see as much surge inundation, although large breaking waves can still present major problems. Storm tides, waves, and currents in confined harbors severely damage ships, marinas, and pleasure boats.
