Two hurricanes struck the area in 1848, both generating surges that exceeded 10 feet. Powerful winds aren’t the only deadly force during a hurricane. Depending on Harvey’s track, onshore winds and rainfall may increase in this area from late Sunday through Tuesday, which would increase flood potential. Hurricane Harvey formed on August 17, 2017 in the open Atlantic. But none of them have occurred since Hurricane Allen struck 37 years ago. That was especially true of Hurricane Florence, which drenched the Carolinas last year, and Hurricane Harvey, which flooded parts of Texas in 2017. Water levels in places like Rockport, Texas have been highly variable. Based on the strength of the winds, this surge of water can cause flooding several feet deep, or more. Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Rockport, Texas, as a Category 4 hurricane yesterday evening. According to ABC News, Hurricane Harvey's storm surge is expected to raise water levels by 12 feet along the Texas coast, and this elevation in water level may be … Additionally, depending on the timing of the surge, it can combine with high tide to produce a storm tide, which can result in even worse flooding than the storm surge alone. CoreLogic: Hurricane Harvey Storm Surge Could Impact 200,000 Texas Homes Stolen Impressionist Classic Turns Up at Museum Exhibit Viewpoint: The Case of the $2 Million Violin From a storm surge perspective, this event may seem exceptional along the central Texas coast, but in the bigger picture it may end up more like a 20-25 year storm surge event (surge level we should expect every 20-25 years on average). The red line in this graph is observed water level and the blue line is predicted water level, based on astronomical tides. Currently, according to the U.S. National Weather Service, peak storm surge inundation is expected to reach between 1.8 m and 3.6 m, between Mustang Island and Port O'Connor, and between 1.4 m to 1.8 m south of Mustang Island. The winds from these storms are often the main focus of people's attention, and with good reason. Forecasters said a "life-threatening" storm surge along with rains and wind were likely as Harvey was intensifying faster than previously forecast. Harvey is forecast to make landfall as a major hurricane in this region with maximum sustained wind speeds exceeding 110 mph and a storm surge of 6-12 feet. Hurricane Laura will wallop the northwest Gulf coast with fierce winds and dangerous storm surge when it meets land late Wednesday, officials said. “Harvey is a very dangerous hurricane with extreme winds, storm surge, and rainfall,” Weather Underground reported. Storm Surge. Storm surge is an inundating flow of water pushed up onto land, due to the force of the surface winds blowing over that water. The storm surge from Hurricane Ike floods a public park on the waterfront September 12, 2008 in Texas City, Texas. Tropical storms and hurricanes are capable of widespread devastation when they make landfall. A real-time, event-triggered storm surge guidance system for the coastal regions of the U.S. Surge could be recorded as far as 30 miles inland. However, this is just the beginning of a saga that could last the better part of a week. Storm surge models suggest a surge exceeding 20 feet could strike the bay, if a hurricane tracked in from the southwest and made landfall north of St. Petersburg-Clearwater. Local Statement potential storm surge and flooding rainfall impacts from Hurricane Harvey. The last substantial storm surge in this region occurred in 1921, when a hurricane generated a 10.5-foot surge. Corpus Christi, the largest city along the southern part of the central Texas coast, shares a disturbing history of hurricanes and storm surges. That’s more than any other natural disaster in U.S. history except Hurricane Katrina . Storm surge is a very complex phenomenon because it is sensitive to the slightest changes in storm intensity, forward speed, size (radius of maximum winds-RMW), angle of approach to the coast, central pressure (minimal contribution in comparison to the wind), and the shape and characteristics of coastal features such as … The maximum potential storm surge for a particular location depends on a number of different factors. Hurricane Harvey Storm Surge Warning And Tornado Watch Updates . Even a modest storm surge in this area could exacerbate flooding, as a prolonged storm surge of 2-4 feet in Galveston Bay will impede the drainage of torrential rainfall. Hurricane Harvey likely generated a 10-12 foot storm tide near Port Lavaca, although the highest observed level reported was 7.0 feet above MSL on Sat Aug 26 at 3:48AM CDT. Harvey became a hurricane later on August 24, and by that night a well-defined eye appeared in infrared satellite pictures. A real-time, event-triggered storm surge guidance system for the coastal regions of the U.S. The official National Hurricane Center track and intensity forecast depicts Harvey tracking towards the Texas coast by Friday evening, and then stalling for, The destructive force of storm surge was on clear display this weekend as Hurricane Matthew ripped across the Caribbean, Florida and the Carolinas. Storm surge damaged coastal roads in the Florida Panhandle and Alabama. Once we truly understand our risks, widespread support for coastal protection rapidly increase and funding these projects follows. You can reject cookies by changing your browser settings. But forecasters expect that to change in the coming weeks as the peak of the hurricane season arrives. Freeport has a 3.5 ft storm surge. Port Lavaca. HURRICANE HARVEY (AL092017) 17 August – 1 September 2017. “Harvey is a very dangerous hurricane with extreme winds, storm surge, and rainfall,” Weather Underground reported. The components of the storm surge and storm tide. On the Gulf side of the storm, to the east and south, the water is simply pushed into the deeper parts of the Gulf of Mexico, where it has only a small effect on water levels. Inland flooding and hurricane-force winds are expected in some areas. This will be a major problem, as Harvey is forecast to dump 20+ inches of rain across a widespread area over the next week. The National Hurricane Center anticipates storm surges ranging from a high of 20 feet in Johnson Bay in southeast Louisiana, to a low of 2 feet as far west as Freeport, Texas, and as far east as Lake Pontchartrain, La. 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