Mapping Coastal Futures

When a hurricane makes landfall it brings extreme wind, heavy rain, powerful waves, and storm surge. Of these hazards, storm surge is often the most dangerous: Historically, surge has caused more deaths than wind damage. During a hurricane, wind exerts stress on the water, causing currents that push water downwind. The surface of the sea can rise suddenly and dramatically rise as wind speeds approach their maximum. Water can rush rapidly into zones of shallow bathymetry and quickly flood the land. With climate change, storm surge will become more threatening. Sea level rise will elevate mean tide levels, increasing the height of storm surge by simple numerical addition. At the same time, hurricanes may become more intense, and the more intense storms more frequent, also contributing to the chances that severe surge will lead to flood inundation in coastal communities.