Coastline vulnerability: Big Bend/GA/LI......

[dixiebreeze]

Hurricane Planning: A Q & A with Bill Massey
While experts predict a busy hurricane season, Bill Massey, Dewberry's director of hurricane and emergency management programs, cautions that it only takes one intense storm to hit land and create a bad year.

Q: Are there any hurricane "myths," or little-known facts about hurricanes?
A: Growing up in Georgia, a common myth I heard is that Georgia couldn't have a hurricane because of the shape of the coastline. In fact, any area on the Atlantic and Gulf coast is susceptible, and based on NOAA's storm surge analysis, the most vulnerable spots on the east coast are Georgia and the New York/Long Island areas. On the Gulf Coast, the Florida big bend area is the most vulnerable. This is due to the slope of the continental shelf and the shape of the coastline. People tend to think that shallow water diminishes the effect of a hurricane because there is less water, but when the hurricane approaches the continental shelf, it pushes the water higher and creates a higher storm surge.

Formerly a hurricane program manager with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Bill Massey leads Dewberry's services in hurricane

[dixiebreeze]

Edited to highlight Fla. Big Bend, and Georgia and Long Island vulnerability.

[karenfromheaven]

Hurricane Planning: A Q & A with Bill Massey
While experts predict a busy hurricane season, Bill Massey, Dewberry's director of hurricane and emergency management programs, cautions that it only takes one intense storm to hit land and create a bad year.

Q: Are there any hurricane "myths," or little-known facts about hurricanes?
A: Growing up in Georgia, a common myth I heard is that Georgia couldn't have a hurricane because of the shape of the coastline. In fact, any area on the Atlantic and Gulf coast is susceptible, and based on NOAA's storm surge analysis, the most vulnerable spots on the east coast are Georgia and the New York/Long Island areas. On the Gulf Coast, the Florida big bend area is the most vulnerable. This is due to the slope of the continental shelf and the shape of the coastline. People tend to think that shallow water diminishes the effect of a hurricane because there is less water, but when the hurricane approaches the continental shelf, it pushes the water higher and creates a higher storm surge.

Formerly a hurricane program manager with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Bill Massey leads Dewberry's services in hurricane

A feeder band from Dennis passed over St Marks last year, and they got hammered with storm surge. From the USGS report:

"Coastal basins in the Big Bend area showed significant surge, whereas those near the hurricane's landfall did not, probably because of (1) the angle at which Hurricane Dennis approached in comparison with that of Ivan, (2) the relative shallowness of Apalachee Bay, and (3) the occurrence of hurricane landfall near high tide in Apalachee Bay. Hurricane Ivan came straight up from the south, and so the storm had a chance to push water well ahead of it, whereas Dennis came in at an angle from the southeast and, as is often the case with the east side of the storm being more severe, affected the Big Bend area more severely than areas farther west. Hurricane landfall occurred between Santa Rosa Beach and Navarre Beach an hour and a half before high tide in Apalachee Bay."

Full report is here: http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2005/09/fieldwork3.html

[dixiebreeze]

Thanks Karen. I'm not sure all folks are aware of just how devastating a storm surge could be for the Big Bend area. Case in point is Cedar Key, which has weathered a few major hits, including the 1896 hurricane that nearly wiped out the island city with a 10 foot storm surge. Up until then, Cedar Key was the second largest city in the state.

[dixiebreeze]

Big Bend for Monday:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tafb_latest/atl ... testBW.gif

[Steve]

>>On the Gulf Coast, the Florida big bend area is the most vulnerable

Most vulnerable to a storm surge (2nd most IMHO), but they've only had one major or close to major hit that area in over 100 years right? So technically they may never experience anything that would test that theory in any of our lifetimes.

Steve

[Noles2006]

It was amazing to see that 10+ foot storm surge from Dennis in the Apalachee Bay considering we're hundreds of miles from P'Cola.

[ronjon]

I'm a little concerned here in Hernando Beach with the storm forecast to come in about 40 miles north of here near Cedar Key. This will produce SW wind that will tend to pile water up along the coast. I'm really hoping for a very weak system as even a CAT 1 Hurricane could cause 5-7 ft storm tides here.

[dixiebreeze]

>>On the Gulf Coast, the Florida big bend area is the most vulnerable

Most vulnerable to a storm surge (2nd most IMHO), but they've only had one major or close to major hit that area in over 100 years right? So technically they may never experience anything that would test that theory in any of our lifetimes.

Steve

Actually, I lived in Cedar Key during Hurricane Elena in 1985 and there was a significant storm surge even though Elena did not make landfall there, but hovered just off the coast for several days. Many businesses and homes were innundated.

There has definitely been more than one surge in the area.