Disaster Preparedness Guide Storm surge awareness: The deadliest part of a hurricane

By Danielle Puleo danielle.puleo@thecoastlandtimes.com

When the National Weather Service issues severe weather watches and warnings, most everyone knows what to expect and what to do. However, not everyone knows what to do when a storm surge watch or warning is issued. The National Hurricane Center states that storm surges are often the deadliest and most hazardous part of a hurricane. Luckily, the NHC has partnered with Dare County in the hopes of spreading awareness about storm surges and what to do if a storm surge watch or warning is in effect.

The NHC defines a storm surge as rapidly rising water above dry ground, generated by a storm, that puts lives at risk and can bring disaster to a community. Drew

Pearson, director of Emergency Management for Dare County, shared that the county has experienced its fair share of storm surges that have severely impacted the community. Hurricanes such as Matthew, Florence and Dorian caused storm surges, and the inundation of water left large parts of the Outer Banks in a state of disrepair.

“We also had it [storm surge] from a good blow on sound, a northeaster, a good wind out of west that pushed water up on to normally dry ground. It happens a lot, and is not just the result of a large hurricane,” said Pearson. “Don’t think about storm surges as coming from a category one through five storm, think about it as how deep the water is going to get.”

In an effort to help the community understand the impact of storm surges, Dare County, in partnership with the NHC, has placed 26 storm surge poles around the Outer Banks. The poles serve as a visual representation of how deep the water might get above ground in the event of a storm surge. The poles are color-coded and marked in four 3’ increments, corresponding with potential storm surge flooding maps, which forecast how high a surge may rise above ground. For example, the bottom portion of the pole is blue, aligning with the NHC’s color indicator for flooding will be greater than 1’ above the ground. Yellow is greater than 3’ above the ground, orange is greater than 6’ above ground, and red is greater than 9’ above ground.

“The goal of these poles is for people to realize what the forecasts mean and really how deep it might be at certain feet. We want everyone to know how important it is to move out of low lying areas, oceanfront places, and why you need to evacuate, should a storm surge watch be issued,” Pearson said.

The infographic next to each storm surge pole in the county gives residents and visitors an insight into how catastrophic a storm surge can be, and where to find more information on forecasts

North Carolina

Are your home, rental property, or vacation plans prepared for the 2023 hurricane season?

Whether you are planning the protection of your home or business, looking for emergency information, or anything in between, visit townofduck.com.

Please visit our site to find links to floodplain and insurance information, hazard mitigation, stocking an emergency kit, and where to find st orm information.

During a declared emergency, Dare County Emergency Management provides unified information. Sign up for emergency alerts from Duck and Dare County at DareNC.com/ Alerts.

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