Hurricane Awareness – Storm Surge

This is hurricane awareness week across the US as the National Weather Service (NWS) focuses on educating people to the dangers and safety procedures to be safe during the upcoming hurricane season. Today’s focus is on storm surge, one of the deadliest factors associated with tropical systems.

-Brian-

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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
518 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2014

...THIS IS HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK...

TODAY'S TOPIC:  STORM SURGE

THE GOAL OF HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK IS TO PROVIDE EDUCATION
ABOUT THE HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH A HURRICANE, WHICH WILL PREPARE
YOU TO TAKE ACTION AS A HURRICANE APPROACHES. THIS INFORMATION
MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE, AT WORK, HOME, ON THE ROAD, OR ON THE WATER.
EACH DAY OF HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK FEATURES A UNIQUE TOPIC
RELEVANT TO EDUCATION AND AWARENESS. HURRICANE SEASON OFFICIALLY
RUNS FROM JUNE 1ST UNTIL NOVEMBER 30TH FOR THE ATLANTIC, CARIBBEAN
AND GULF OF MEXICO.

TODAY WE WILL FOCUS ON STORM SURGE AND MARINE HAZARDS ASSOCIATED
WITH LAND FALLING TROPICAL SYSTEMS. THESE HAZARDS ARE NOT A MAJOR
CONCERN FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA SINCE WE ARE NOT DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO
THE COAST. HOWEVER, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM THE REGION TRAVEL TO
POPULAR OCEAN SIDE DESTINATIONS DURING THE SUMMER AND FALL SEASONS.
THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR THE LOSS OF LIFE RELATED TO A HURRICANE
IS FROM THE STORM SURGE.

STORM SURGE IS A RISE IN THE SEA LEVEL PRODUCED BY WATER BEING
PUSHED TOWARD THE SHORE BY THE FORCE OF THE WINDS WITHIN A
TROPICAL SYSTEM. THE ADDITIONAL WATER WHEN COMBINED WITH RISING
TIDES CAN INCREASE THE MEAN WATER LEVEL INLAND 15 FEET OR MORE.
THIS CAN CAUSE SEVERE FLOODING AND TREMENDOUS DAMAGE TO STRUCTURES
LOCATED IN PROXIMITY TO THE COASTLINE. THERE IS NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL
AS 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.

USUALLY, THE MORE INTENSE THE TROPICAL SYSTEM IS, AND THE CLOSER AN
AREA IS TO THE STORM'S RIGHT-FRONT QUADRANT THE MORE LIKELY STORM
SURGE WILL OCCUR. UNDER THESE CONDITIONS AN EVACUATION MAY BE DEEMED
NECESSARY. TO MINIMIZE TO LOSS OF LIFE, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WILL
MAKE DECISIONS CONCERNING WHICH AREAS WILL NEED TO BE EVACUATED BY
DESIGNATED ROUTES. PERSONAL SAFETY SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE TOP
PRIORITY, SO ALWAYS FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS AND ORDERS OF THE LOCAL
OR STATE OFFICIALS AT YOUR DESTINATION.

THE FOLLOWING STORM SURGE SAFETY ACTIONS SHOULD BE PRACTICED WHEN
TRAVELING TO COASTAL DESTINATIONS DURING HURRICANE MONTHS:

MINIMIZE THE DISTANCE THAT YOU NEED TO REACH A SAFE LOCATION. THE
FURTHER YOU DRIVE, THE HIGHER THE LIKELIHOOD THAT YOU WILL ENCOUNTER
SIGNIFICANT TRAFFIC DELAYS. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE ONCE AN
EVACUATION ORDER HAS BEEN GIVEN. MAP OUT A ROUTE THAT YOU WILL
FOLLOW. DO NOT GET ON THE ROADWAY WITHOUT A PLANNED ROUTE WHICH
SHOULD INCLUDE EVACUATION ROUTES THAT HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED BY
AUTHORITIES.

CHOOSE A DESTINATION LOCATION AHEAD OF TIME THAT WILL BE OUTSIDE OF
THE EVACUATION ZONE. IF THIS LOCATION IS WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY
MEMBERS, IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO DISCUSS YOUR PLAN WITH THEM WHILE
PLANNING YOUR VACATION. YOU CAN ALSO CHOOSE A HOTEL/MOTEL OR A
DESIGNATED PUBLIC SHELTER AREA OUTSIDE OF THE VULNERABLE REGION.

CONTACT LOCAL OFFICIALS IN YOUR DESTINATION CITY IF YOU OR ANY
MEMBER OF YOUR PARTY MAY REQUIRE SPECIAL ASSISTANCE IN ORDER TO
EVACUATE. BE SURE TO DO THIS AHEAD OF TIME.

ONCE AN EVACUATION ORDER HAS BEEN GIVEN, PLAN TO LEAVE AS QUICKLY AS
POSSIBLE. BY WAITING, YOU WILL GREATLY INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF
BEING STUCK IN TRAFFIC, OR EVEN WORSE, NOT BEING ABLE TO LEAVE THE
AREA AT ALL.

ALWAYS STAY TUNED TO LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS OR YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO
WHILE TRAVELING.

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES ON TUESDAY WHEN WE WILL FOCUS
OUR ATTENTION ON THE WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL SYSTEMS.

FOR ADDITIONAL PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION, YOU CAN VISIT THESE SITES
ON THE INTERNET:

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/BMX

NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER
WWW.HURRICANES.GOV

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK SITE
WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/PREPARE/

FEMA
WWW.READY.GOV

AMERICAN RED CROSS
WWW.REDCROSS.ORG/WHAT-WE-DO/DISASTER-RELIEF

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT EITHER JIM STEFKOVICH, THE
METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE, OR JOHN DE BLOCK, THE WARNING
COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST, AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA OFFICE AT 205-664-3010.

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Category: Alabama's Weather, Tropical