Every Storm is Different: The U.S. Coast Guard's Interactive Tool to Monitor Storm Surge

摘要

Hurricanes (or tropical cyclones as the experts like to call them) are not all alike. Each storm is truly unique. Some zip right through your community like a streaker. Others park on top of you. Each enters your area from a slightly different direction at a slightly different wind speed. Some have tremendous storm surge, others have very little. Just because you've lived through one (or even several) doesn't make you an expert in what the next storm will do. According to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), the maximum potential storm surge for a particular location depends on a number of factors. Storm surge is a very complex phenomenon because it is sensitive to the slightest changes in things such as storm intensity, its forward speed, size (radius of maximum winds), the angle of approach to the coast, central pressure (minimal contribution in comparison to the wind), and the shape and characteristics of coastal features.