General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsStorm surge question. Let's say someone's house is 20 feet above sea level in the storm area, and
the storm surge is 15 feet. Does that mean the house and its denizens are safe from the water?
L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)As water body width decreases, the funnel effect can raise the waves of water moving inland. How high you are above the nearest water channel matters too.
LuckyCharms
(17,444 posts)the water level above normally dry ground, not above sea level.
If this is the case, the house would not necessarily be safe.
Igel
(35,317 posts)Sea level averages out tides.
Storm surge is above whatever the level is with the tide.
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)TexasBushwhacker
(20,196 posts)You may be dry and safe, but you probably won't have power or a way to escape safely, even with a raft.
The one saving grace for Irma is that it's continuing to move, rather than stalling out and dumping feet of rain in one place like Harvey.
eppur_se_muova
(36,266 posts)csziggy
(34,136 posts)meadowlander
(4,395 posts)BigmanPigman
(51,608 posts)in your building foundation.
Igel
(35,317 posts)One more is simple momentum: If you go to the beach and a "surge" comes on shore in the form of a way, not only it it be funneled, not only might it have ripples, but its forward momentum will take it farther up the shore than you'd suspect, and it might stay there longer because it's pushed from behind.