Weather Channel Releases Scarily Intense Immersive Graphic Showing How Deadly A Hurricane Storm Surge Really Is

A storm surge of 9 to 13 feet and rainfall up to 40 inches are two of the most dire warnings about Hurricane Florence’s effect on parts of North and South Carolina. Thousands have heeded evacuation orders; others are hoping to cope with the storm in their homes or at local shelters.

Most people think that the biggest danger posed from hurricanes are the intense, swirling winds that come with it. Make no mistake, sustained winds above 130 MPH can do a whole lot of damage. But there is another danger that actually is scarier than high winds. It’s called storm surge, and much like a tsunami, it can wipe out everything in its path.

The Weather Channel today released a 3D immersive graphic video that shows you what a storm surge at 3′, 6′, 9′ and 13′ looks like. Having myself been through both Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Irma here in Northeast Florida in the past 2 years, and seen for myself exactly what a storm surge looks like, believe me when I tell you it is a terrifying situation.

FROM THE WEATHER CHANNEL: According to the National Hurricane Center, rainfall could total 20 to 40 inches in coastal North Carolina, and rainfall of 6 to as much as 15 inches is possible in several other states in the Southeast and Appalachians. The National Weather Service is already forecasting record or near-record crests along the Cape Fear River in North Carolina, possibly higher than seen during Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

You don’t need rain nearly as heavy as what is being forecast near the coast of the Carolinas to trigger major flash flooding and river flooding in the Appalachians, due to the runoff enhancement of terrain.

Hurricane Florence may produce heavy rain along the slopes of the Appalachians from north Georgia into West Virginia into early next week. This could lead to numerous rockslides and mudslides. If that wasn’t enough, trees may be more easily toppled by winds than otherwise when soil is saturated from either heavy rain or storm-surge flooding. READ MORE

Saint Augustine Florida when Hurricane Irma was still 12 hours away

Look at this video I took last year during Hurricane Irma. See how high the water levels are and how hard it’s hitting, then remember that the actual hurricane was still 12 hours away from arriving. This is the deadliest part of any hurricane, the fast-rising water levels that sweep away just about anything in its path.

FROM NPR: Storm surges of 9 to 13 feet and rainfall up to 40 inches: Those are two of the most dire warnings about Hurricane Florence’s effect on parts of North and South Carolina. Thousands have heeded evacuation orders; others are hoping to cope with the storm in their homes or at local shelters.

Weather and emergency officials are warning people in Florence’s path not to interpret maps showing the location of the storm’s center, or reports that it is losing top wind strength, as signs that they should relax. The storm is huge, the National Hurricane Center says, and its worst effects will reach “a large area regardless of exactly where the center of Florence moves.” Thousands of power outages due to Florence have been reported. As of 2:40 p.m. ET, more than 15,000 customers along the coast were without power, according to outage maps from Duke Energy and the N.C. Electric Cooperatives. READ MORE

Live: Tracking Hurricane Florence 2018

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