An abnormal rise of seawater above the predicted astronomical tide, driven primarily by a storm's onshore winds pushing water toward the coast and, to a lesser extent, by the drop in atmospheric pressure at the storm's center. Storm surge is typically the deadliest and most destructive element of a landfalling tropical cyclone, capable of inundating low-lying coastal areas well beyond the normal high-tide line within a matter of hours. Hurricane Katrina's storm surge in 2005 exceeded eight meters in parts of the Mississippi coast, overwhelming levees built for far smaller events.
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When an astronomical king tide coincides with a storm surge, the two combine into the most severe recorded coastal flooding events, a documented compound-flood mechanism distinct from either phenomenon occurring alone.
Storm surge is the coastal rise in sea level driven directly by a tropical cyclone's high winds and low central pressure, and is recognized as the deadliest hazard the storm produces.
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