Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
I'm Daniel Brown, Hurricane Specialist at NOAA's National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Storm surge is the deadliest hazard associated with hurricanes. It's a rise in the sea level
produced by water being pushed toward the shore by the force of the winds within a storm.
But storm surge is not just a coastal event. In some areas, the sea water can travel well
inland with devastating consequences.
There is no "one size fits all." Storm surge is strongly influenced by a hurricane's track,
forward motion, intensity and size. Changes in any of these storm characteristics will
significantly alter the amount of storm surge.
NOAA's National Hurricane Center website has links to improve access and understanding
of its storm surge products and services.
This website is especially useful when a hurricane approaches the U.S. coastline. The Storm Surge
Products section includes a decision support tool that will take visitors step-by-step
through storm surge forecasts and information as a storm moves toward land.
While it's extremely difficult to forecast the exact level of storm surge, we can provide
the information you need to make an educated decision about your risk of storm surge.
Be prepared this hurricane season.
For more information, visit our website at hurricanes.gov/surge