EARTHSC 2GG3 Lecture Notes - Fort Walton Beach, Florida, National Hurricane Center, Wind Speed
14 Nov 2013
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Most of top ten costliest hurricanes occurred in 2004-2005. The national hurricane center ranks hurricane sandy (category 2) the second costliest us hurricane since 1900 75 billion dollars. Costs related to hurricanes have dramatically increased due to: rapidly growing populations along coast, more development in unsuitable locations, more expensive buildings. Number of deaths has decreased due to: improved ability to predict landfall locations, coordinated ability to evacuate populations at risk, hurricane sandy caused about 285 deaths. Low pressure helps cause sea level under storm to rise. Prolonged high winds push seawater into mounds as high as 73m and 80- Surge height depends on: wind speed, fetch length (length of water over which a wind has blown, water depth. For hurricane sandy the highest storm surge was 4. 23m in new york. Storm surges pile up and rise even higher when they are: approaching shallower coastlines, funneled into a bay, inlet or harbor. 90% of tropical cyclone deaths result from storm-surge flooding"s.
