Friday, July 2, 2010

What was the highest surge?

What was Alex's peak U.S. storm surge? NOAA Tides and Currents data reveals maximum water levels at South Padre Island and Port Isabel, TX, reached approximately 3.5 feet above normal. The Brownsville Herald and South Padre Island Breeze did not report maximum surge levels in July 1 publications, but they did both mention 9-foot (3 meter) waves along the Coast.

It is also possible that higher surges occurred along the Louisiana Coast, as strong onshore flow persisted for more than two days. Although this area was more than 500 miles from the storm's center, the water off Louisiana's coast is very shallow, which tends to build surge. The SCIPP program will investigate surge levels along the entire Central and Western Gulf Coast to try to find the peak surge level.

Do you have information on this surge event? Did you observe it personally? Did you read any information about specific surge levels in newspapers, blogs or National Weather Service/ National Hurricane Center updates? If so, please share that information through a blog comment.

Thanks!
Hurricane Hal

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