Zackiedawg wrote:As far as the Palm Beach county coastline, I don't know if we'd ever get to 50-footers, but it would still get messy along the beach. We have a few advantages that help our situation when it comes to storm surge and wave height.
For one, the gulf stream is at its closest point to land at southern Palm Beach county...which causes a cross current that seems to reduce the impact of waves on the coastline. The current probably saps some of the strength out of the wave by running perpendicular to the wave current.
Also, we have the Bahama islands scattered about just 100 miles away, which takes out the long ocean swells that build up in the hurricane for hundreds of miles. The Bahamas get pounded with the worst of the big waves, then the hurricane essentially has to start all new waves again before getting to Florida. This might reduce the size these swells can attain.
As for the question of the waves impacting miles inland...despite the height of the waves being 25, 30, or even 40 feet, and our cities being essentially at sea level, the waves still won't make it much past the barrier islands, nor will the predominant portion of surge. The barrier islands along much of the southern Palm Beach coast and northern Broward coast have a prominant ocean ridge running 20 feet or more over sea level, combined with a steeply slanted coastal runup, and then the intercoastal waterway as a buffer if a wave did actually make it over the island. Where there is no ocean ridge, the barrier island grows significantly wider, from Boynton Beach north to Palm Beach, and from Pompano Beach south into Lauderdale...so though there is no ridge to stop the waves, there is alot of land and the intercoastal is still there as a buffer.
We get a break from storm surge because of some of these factors too...the steeper coastal rise certainly prevents the miles-deep intrusions like the gulf coast is susceptible to, and with a basically flat coastline, we don't have the bays and long inlets for the surge to gather and push into.
Historical storms have caused damage as far as Swinton Blvd in Delray from flooding and surge, and to Federal Hwy in Boca Raton. Palm Beach island has flooded in the past, and Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood have been swamped up to a mile or so from the intercoastal. Generally, Federal Hwy is the surge point, excepting the few areas like Delray Beach at Atlantic, and the Fort Lauderdale Las Olas region which have less ocean ridge protection and flatter terrain farther inland.
Any farther west than Federal Highway, and your big worry will be wind, tornado, and debris. Surge could get to a few areas, but in the form of flooding, as opposed to bashing waves and fast moving currents. I would fear the Cat 4 or 5 in our area more for the number of trees and roof tiles that will be streaking through the skies like bullets, busting through windows and dropping through roofs!
Excellent points. I would also like to point out that much of the beaches along coastal Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Hollywood in Broward County and the beaches from around parts of Boynton Beach and Delray Beach northward to Palm Beach have been largely overdeveloped. Also, those areas have been dredged, virtually obliterating the protective ridge that once existed on those barrier islands and some inland areas close by. Boca Raton, Highland Beach, and the southern coastal areas of Delray Beach, however, have left the original natural dune vegetation - and the associated, protective ridge - intact, both on the barrier islands and just inland. In addition, Boca Raton has preserved many areas inland and along the barrier islands as parks or natural preserves, leaving the natural dune vegetation, ridge, and natural coastal maritime hammocks (such as the Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex) intact. Even in areas along Boca Raton's beaches that are developed, the ridge (both inland and coastal) and dune vegetation in front of the condos are left intact, at least in some way or degree. Highland Beach and Delray Beach, in which condos and buildings and residences are more "clustered" or overly developed, have also followed similar protective measures like Boca Raton has, leaving the ridge and vegetation intact, coexisting with nearby oceanfront developments. Do you agree, Zackiedawg?
