Andrew: Why No Storm Surge?

[SeaBrz_FL]

Since we are in kind of a lull right now, I thought I'd ask this question that's been bugging me for over 10 years.

Why did Andrew (since reclassified by the NHC to Cat 5) have so little reported storm surge? Even with the direct hit on Homestead, why didn't even Biscayne Bay have a surge?

Not trying to start anything controversial. I've just always been curious about this.

SeaBrz

[PTPatrick]

simple...it has to do with topagraphy...the water just off the SE L coast isdeeper than areas most other area. Just off the SE FL coast the water depth drops dramatically. This is not the case in teh gulf where the water can be less than 50 feet way out from the coast. The shallower the water near the coast...the more the surge. This is why bays and inlets are very surge prone.

[Derek Ortt]

Actually, Andrew had a higher storm surge than did Ivan. Andrew's surge was 16.9 feet.

This is not remembered as that section of the coastline is not as populated as is the Panhandle where Ivan devastated. In addition, the extent of the wind damage was so immense, that its damage simply overshadowed the horrible effects of the tidal surge (which was about 10 feet in the coconut grove area)

[PTPatrick]

Thanks Der...I actually thought about that after writing my answer. Andrew did have quite a big surge. But I was under the impression that Ivans surge was as much as 20 feet.

[x-y-no]

Yep. 16.9 feet at Black Point Marina. About 9 feet at Dinner Key Marina, and a mere 3 1/2 feet where I had my boat at the Marriott downtown.

[SeaBrz_FL]

I really , really appreciate this input.

Based on the lack of "press coverage" there are several people on the East Coast that have used the "Andrew Didn't Have Storm Surge" argument as a reason to not evac.

As expected, the press wouldn't report on a less inhabited area that was affected.

Thanks much!

[tropicana]

Also, isn't the angle of the hurricane approaching the coastline have anything, albeit not as much as the depth of water, have anything to do with how high the storm surge can get?

I'm sure I heard that somewhere.

-justin-

[logybogy]

Yeah, what kind of angle maximizes the storm surge for Miami Beach in Dade County?

SW, S, N, NW?

[Derek Ortt]

I believe Ivan's surge was about 15 feet, similar to the surge of Opal. Opal's worst surge missed the population center of Pensacola (did have a heavy surge though on Pensacola Beach, though only immediate beach homes were destroyed, surge appeared to be about 10 feet as they were west of the eye and had the offshore wind

[iluvseashore]

Does the storm surge issue with Ivan vs.Andrew have anything to do with the fact that the GOM has more shallow waters or am I way off?

[Guest]

Andrew no storm surge?

Tell that to the Burger King headquarters in South Dade,I'd bet they would beg to differ.

[SouthernWx]

:?: Does the storm surge issue with Ivan vs.Andrew have anything to do with the fact that the GOM has more shallow waters or am I way off?

While it's true a major hurricane in the GOM will usually mean a larger storm surge...because most of the Gulf coast has a very shallow slope offshore, the only reason no one mentions Andrew's storm surge is it was limited to a very small area near and just north of the eyewall...which occurred in an area where there were no hi-rise condo's or massive building on the immediate coast...

Believe me...if Andrew had made landfall only 20 miles farther north...and that 13-16' foot storm surge and had innundated Miami Beach, Key Biscayne, and downtown Miami...the damage from storm surge would have been just as catastrophic as Ivan's at Pensacola (probably even worse...because many folks didn't evacuate the immediate shoreline from Miami Beach to Hallandale. IMO hundreds, and possibly thousands would have perished....drowned when their condos and beachside homes went under water

[Frank P]

Does any one have the official storm surge of Ivan... I think it was well in excess of 15 feet in my opinion... from the devastation I have seen from TV, I really believe Ivan's surge was more like a Cat 5 storm as opposed to a Cat 3.... even Camille did not do the type of bridge damage on the Biloxi/Ocean Springs bridge that Ivan did to the Pensacola bridge, and that damage was due to storm surge and not wind for sure.... barrier island damage was far worse with Ivan than Opal, which also lend credance that Ivans storm surge was much greater than Opals.... I have no official report on Ivan's storm surge but I would be willing to bet that it got really close to 20 feet in selected areas ... I heard a report tonight on Mobile TV of a person reporting that the top of one of his trees was fully covered with Ivan's storm surge, and his tree was 18 feet tall....

even though the winds were not Cat 5, Ivan maintained a storm surge approaching Cat 5 levels.... case in point... Isadore hit Biloxi a couple of years ago... max winds of 60 ish... but she brought with it a strong Cat 2 storm surge.. I had a 9 foot surge in front of my house, which was the greatest surge in my area of Biloxi since Camille, even Elena and Georges did not produce that high of surge...

Ivan was a tremendous storm... and the panhandle will take perhaps a decade to fully recover... and the majority of the catastrophic damage was due to this devastating surge... my opinion only

[WeatherEmperor]

Andrew no storm surge?

Tell that to the Burger King headquarters in South Dade,I'd bet they would beg to differ.

I know. The Burger King headquarters took a very nasty beating from Andrew.

<RICKY>

[Guest]

This is all you need to know about Andrew's storm surge

[Patrick99]

Andrew had a nasty storm surge. But then again, just like the winds, it was concentrated in a relatively small area. South Biscayne Bay all the way up to Coconut Grove got hit pretty hard. You just didn't see a lot of dramatic photography. Probably because it hit at 4 in the morning. Miami Beach got off with very little. I can only imagine the next time a major hurricane scores a hit near Miami Beach. Talk about being highly vulnerable to storm surge. The entire island will be flooded.

[hookemfins]

16 ft storm surge a mile N of Burger King at my parents house.

Andrew was a smaller storm than Ivan.