Storm Surge Facts
An article in another thread from The Guardian mentioned an increase in storm surges. Now, I don't know if this is true or not, but I found these facts from the National Hurricane Center to be pretty incredible.
Surge Vulnerability Facts
- From 1990-2008, population density increased by 32% in Gulf coastal counties, 17% in Atlantic coastal counties, and 16% in Hawaii (U.S. Census Bureau 2010)
- Much of the United States' densely populated Atlantic and Gulf Coast coastlines lie less than 10 feet above mean sea level
- Over half of the Nation's economic productivity is located within coastal zones
- 72% of ports, 27% of major roads, and 9% of rail lines within the Gulf Coast region are at or below 4 ft elevation (CCSP, SAP 4-7)
- A storm surge of 23 ft has the ability to inundate 67% of interstates, 57% of arterials, almost half of rail miles, 29 airports, and virtually all ports in the Gulf Coast area (CCSP SAP 4-7)
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/surge/
The reality is, as more people move closer to the oceans, any catastrophic event like Katrina or Sandy is going to cause massive amounts of damage to lives and infrastructure. The storms may not even be that powerful (Sandy came ashore as a post tropical depression, not a hurricane), but people insist on moving to where the potential for disaster is known and then seem surprised when it happens to them.
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