Storm Surge Info for SE Texas (Jefferson & Hardin Co.)

[southerngale]

I saw a simulation a few years ago of Southeast Texas if a cat.1 to cat.5 were to hit but I can't find it. Not nearly as interesting as that, but this definitely shows the big difference between the storm surge from a cat.1 and a cat.3.

http://www.kfdm.com/hurricane_surgemap.shtml

[GalvestonDuck]

The Chronicle had it on their site about a month ago. Getting ready...er, sorry...gotta say it so my fellow Texans will understand...FIXIN' to go to a friend's for dinner (Tempura!) or I'd look it up for ya.

[WhiteShirt]

I saw a simulation a few years ago of Southeast Texas if a cat.1 to cat.5 were to hit but I can't find it. Not nearly as interesting as that, but this definitely shows the big difference between the storm surge from a cat.1 and a cat.3.

http://www.kfdm.com/hurricane_surgemap.shtml

Is there a link to a surge map for the Houston area? Thanks.

[vbhoutex]

I saw a simulation a few years ago of Southeast Texas if a cat.1 to cat.5 were to hit but I can't find it. Not nearly as interesting as that, but this definitely shows the big difference between the storm surge from a cat.1 and a cat.3.

http://www.kfdm.com/hurricane_surgemap.shtml

Is there a link to a surge map for the Houston area? Thanks.

There is and I believe it is probably archived somewhere on this site, but it will take some time to find.
You might try the going to the Chronicle website and see if you can find it archived there. I know I have looked at it within the last few weeks. Below is a written text explaining the effects of storm surge for each category for the Hou/Gal area that was written by Jeff Lindner one of our Pro Mets here at Storm2k.

The US Gulf coast is notorious for some of the worst storm surges in
tropical history. The 1900 Galveston Hurricane and Hurricane Carla
produced very large storm surges leveling much of Galveston Island and
the areas around Matagorda Bay. Hurricane Camille holds the record
however with its 29-31 foot surge on the Mississippi coast. Camille’s
surge was so destructive and intense the coastline had to be remapped.
Ivan (2004) once again showed the surge potential on the Gulf coast
with heights reaching nearly 13ft at Pensacola. Nearly 250 feet of
beach were lost to Ivan and over 75 cuts were made through the barrier
islands along the FL panhandle and AL coast (See attached Ivan surge
pictures and link)

Storm Surge is the gradual rise in sea level before the arrival of the
center of the storm. It is caused by the extreme low pressures around
a hurricane and the counter clockwise rotation of a storm. As the
bulge reaches the shallow waters of the coast it rises steeply and
spills ashore. Large swell and wave action on top of the surge results
in massive erosion and structural damage. Storm surge was the leading
cause of death in hurricanes and was directly responsible for the
fatalities of 8,000 in Galveston in 1900. Today, early warnings and
evacuations have resulted in much fewer storm surge related deaths,
but the warnings and evacuation orders must be heeded if this trend is
to continue.

SE TX Storm Surge Profiles by hurricane category (Based on Texas A&M
Hazard and Recovery Data and the NOAA SLOSH model):

Category 1:

Surge will overrun all of the Bolivar Peninsula, western Galveston
Island and SE Brazoria County around Surfside, and most of coastal
Matagorda County including the Matagorda Peninsula. Surge will
inundate most of Kemah and Seabrook and run up Clear Creek to I-45.
Most structures south of Nasa Rd 1 to Clear Lake will be flooded with
sea water.

Category 2:

Surge will inundate all of the Bolivar Peninsula, western Galveston
Island, and deep into Brazoria County (FM 2004). 1/4th of Matagorda
County will be under water including Palacios. ½ of Calhoun County
will be under water including much of Port Lavaca, Point Comfort, and
Port O Conner. Most structures lower than 10 feet around Galveston
and Matagorda Bays will be flooded. Surge will run up the Ship Channel
to Beltway 8 and up Clear Creek to I-45. Surge will also run-up Armand
Bayou to Bay Area Blvd. All structures along Clear Creek S of Bay Area
Blvd and N of League City will be flooded.

Category 3:

Devastating storm surge. Massive evacuation required. Surge will
overtop Texas City protection levee flooding all of SE Galveston
County. All areas E of I-45 in Galveston County will be flooded by sea
water including Webster, Dickenson, LaMarque and League City. Surge
and wave action will approach top of Galveston seawall with the
backside of the island severely flooded. Bolivar Peninsula and western
Galveston Island will be under 8-12 feet of water with severe erosion
and large cuts likely. Surge will overtop protection levee at Freeport
and Lake Jackson completely flooding all of Brazoria County S of HWY
35 including Freeport, Lake Jackson, Angleton, Jones Creek, Danbury.
In Harris County surge will run up Clear Creek to Bay Area Blvd with
severe damage and flooding along the channel including the NASA
complex. The entire city of LaPorte will be inundated as well as
sections of Deer Park and Pasadena. Surge will run-up the Ship Channel
well west of the Beltway flooding much of the chemical industry north
of HWY 225. Surge will run-up the San Jacinto River to HWY 90. In
Matagorda County locations S of FM 521 will be severely flooded. Surge
will inundate all of Calhoun County reaching into lower Jackson County
with sea water reaching the Lake Texanna Dam.

Category 4:

Extreme storm surge. 750,000 to 1 million persons required to
evacuate. Lower 1/2 of Brazoria County will be inundated. Galveston
seawall overtopped. Severe to extreme beach erosion and large cuts.
Structures below 15 feet above sea level will be completely destroyed
(all of W Galveston Island, Bolivar Peninsula, all of Seabrook, all of
Kemah, most structures E of I-45 in Galveston County, most of Calhoun
County, southern ½ of Matagorda County). Surge will be 20 feet deep in
the Houston Ship Channel up to the 610 E Loop. Surge will be 18-22
feet at I-45 and Clear Creek. All of Brazoria County S of HWY 35 will
be severely flooded with sea water. Surge will reach Lake Houston
Spillway on the San Jacinto River and run-up all the lower ends of
Harris County's watersheds. City of Baytown will be flooded as well as
a large part of Chambers County. Surge will run-up the Trinity River
reaching Liberty and flooding much of lower Liberty County. Sea water
will inundate all of Calhoun County with surge deep into Victoria
County nearing the southern limits of the city of Victoria and
reaching to just south of Edna in Jackson County. Sea water would
reach the bottom of the HWY 35 causeway over Lavaca Bay and the bottom
of the Galveston causeway over Galveston Bay. (Storm surge would be
similar to Hurricane Carla)

Category 5:

Catastrophic surge. Complete destruction of all structures below 18
feet above sea level. Western Galveston Island, Surfside, Bolivar
Peninsula, Kemah, Seabrook, Matagorda Peninsula, and most of Calhoun
County completely destroyed. Massive erosion and cuts, portions of
Bolivar and W Galveston Island will no longer exist. 2/3rds of
Brazoria County inundated. 95% of Galveston County flooded with water
level depths at Clear Lake entrance near 25 feet and at I-45 and Clear
Creek 22-25 feet. Surge will run-up Clear Creek to Friendswood. 30
foot surge expected up the Ship Channel flooding all structures
between I-10 and SH 225 up to the 610 E Loop (this includes all the
petrochemical industry N of SH 225). Most of Chambers County and a
large part of southern Liberty County will be flooded. All of Deer
Park, Clear Lake City, Galena Park, Texas City, and LaMarque will be
flooded as well as large parts of Pasadena, Highlands, and Baytown.
75% of Matagorda County, 50% of Jackson County, and 35% of Victoria
County will be flooded. Surge will reach US 59 in Jackson and Victoria
counties. 100% of Calhoun County will be under sea water.

Storm surge damage from a category 4-5 landfall will likely result in
the damage to an estimated 650,000 homes in Galveston, Harris, and
Brazoria counties alone. Infrastructure along the coast will be
completely destroyed, and areas such as Galveston, the W side of
Galveston Bay S Brazoria County, S Matagorda County, and all of
Calhoun County will not be habitable for months. The economic impact
to the petro chemical industry, The Port of Houston, the Port of
Galveston, and the cities around Galveston Bay will be in the range of
20-30 billion dollars. An estimated damage total from storm surge
alone will run near 40 billon dollars (the complete damage total of
all 4 FL hurricanes in 2004 was 42 billion dollars).

[vbhoutex]

Here is a link to the Harris County OEM site evacuation page which shows the Categories for Evacuation and the routes.

http://www.hcoem.org/Hurricane%20Evacuation%20Map.pdf

[GalvestonDuck]

Here is a link to the Harris County OEM site evacuation page which shows the Categories for Evacuation and the routes.

http://www.hcoem.org/Hurricane%20Evacuation%20Map.pdf

They've changed it. A small part of Galveston (a long triangle from the point where the Seawall begins way up on the east end westward to where Seawall meets 61st, up 61st to Broadway, and back east along Broadway to Seawall) used to be yellow Zone B. I'm still Zone A though.

Kelly, here's the link to the special segment with the animation of the storm surge:

http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/ ... index.html

Click next to the hurricane symbol where it says "Storm surge," click past all the cartoon blooey until you get to the aerial maps of Houston and Galveston, then click the map, and hold your breath.

Of course, you can see on the Galveston graphic that the Seawall doesn't protect from the rear and most of the water comes from the harborside, not the gulfside.

[vbhoutex]

Thanks Duckie!! That is the one I was looking for.

[southerngale]

Where did Galveston go?

We better pray nothing big comes this way!!

[GalvestonDuck]

You're telling me!

But I can't talk -- I live on a barrier island. :why is there not a decent raspberry emoticon on here so I could direct it at David?:

[Stratosphere747]

I've had a problem with this sceniro since it first came out. One reason that I've also been critical of Alicia being a Cat3.

Category 3:

Devastating storm surge. Massive evacuation required. Surge will
overtop Texas City protection levee flooding all of SE Galveston
County. All areas E of I-45 in Galveston County will be flooded by sea
water including Webster, Dickenson, LaMarque and League City. Surge
and wave action will approach top of Galveston seawall with the
backside of the island severely flooded. Bolivar Peninsula and western
Galveston Island will be under 8-12 feet of water with severe erosion
and large cuts likely. Surge will overtop protection levee at Freeport
and Lake Jackson completely flooding all of Brazoria County S of HWY
35 including Freeport, Lake Jackson, Angleton, Jones Creek, Danbury.
In Harris County surge will run up Clear Creek to Bay Area Blvd with
severe damage and flooding along the channel including the NASA
complex. The entire city of LaPorte will be inundated as well as
sections of Deer Park and Pasadena. Surge will run-up the Ship Channel
well west of the Beltway flooding much of the chemical industry north
of HWY 225. Surge will run-up the San Jacinto River to HWY 90. In
Matagorda County locations S of FM 521 will be severely flooded. Surge
will inundate all of Calhoun County reaching into lower Jackson County
with sea water reaching the Lake Texanna Dam.

Now their scenario does have this "phantom" Cat3 hitting around Freeport, but Alicia hit roughly no more than 30miles up the coast, if that, around San Luis.

No way did anything come close to what they predict as far as SS is concerned. I understand that Alicia developed quickly and may have even hit at low tide, but its SS effects seemed no more than a Cat2 or strong Cat1.

[jeff]

I've had a problem with this sceniro since it first came out. One reason that I've also been critical of Alicia being a Cat3.

Category 3:

Devastating storm surge. Massive evacuation required. Surge will
overtop Texas City protection levee flooding all of SE Galveston
County. All areas E of I-45 in Galveston County will be flooded by sea
water including Webster, Dickenson, LaMarque and League City. Surge
and wave action will approach top of Galveston seawall with the
backside of the island severely flooded. Bolivar Peninsula and western
Galveston Island will be under 8-12 feet of water with severe erosion
and large cuts likely. Surge will overtop protection levee at Freeport
and Lake Jackson completely flooding all of Brazoria County S of HWY
35 including Freeport, Lake Jackson, Angleton, Jones Creek, Danbury.
In Harris County surge will run up Clear Creek to Bay Area Blvd with
severe damage and flooding along the channel including the NASA
complex. The entire city of LaPorte will be inundated as well as
sections of Deer Park and Pasadena. Surge will run-up the Ship Channel
well west of the Beltway flooding much of the chemical industry north
of HWY 225. Surge will run-up the San Jacinto River to HWY 90. In
Matagorda County locations S of FM 521 will be severely flooded. Surge
will inundate all of Calhoun County reaching into lower Jackson County
with sea water reaching the Lake Texanna Dam.

Now their scenario does have this "phantom" Cat3 hitting around Freeport, but Alicia hit roughly no more than 30miles up the coast, if that, around San Luis.

No way did anything come close to what they predict as far as SS is concerned. I understand that Alicia developed quickly and may have even hit at low tide, but its SS effects seemed no more than a Cat2 or strong Cat1.

You are very correct in your assement of Alicia. As with Charley that developed rapidly just off the coast the surge was lower than one would expect with a strong cat 4. A long tracked intense hurricane across the Gulf will be much worse than one that develops near the coast. Compare the surges for Ivan and Charley. The size of the storms also has some impact ont he surge levels.