New England

Storm Surges Explained

Storm Surge Gulf Coast
National Hurricane Center

As Hurricane Laura rapidly intensifies, it's hitting a portion of the Gulf Coast that is well seasoned when it comes to strong hurricanes.

Unfortunately, this storm will not only pack winds over 120 mph, but it will also push a significant storm surge up to 30 miles inland.

Imagine that that's from Boston to several miles past Framingham. Obviously that would not happen in this part of the country, because we have elevation on our side.

It is very low in that part of Louisiana and Texas. The storm surge may reach 20 feet in spots.

Hurricane Katrina holds the record for the greatest storm surge ever recorded. Hurricane Sandy was likely the most recent high impact storm surge event, but these levels will surpass that by a wide margin.

Contact Us