Huge Wave Caused by Ivan

[patsmsg]

If you haven't read it, I found the following article about a huge wave created by Hurricane Ivan very interesting.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0% ... %2C00.html

I had no idea this storm may have caused a wave that large. Specifically, the NRL model predicts it may have reached 131 feet in height

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

No wonder there was so much damage.

[patsmsg]

I'd be interested in knowing when, where this wave was measured. (or at least the data used in the models to "predict" it.) I wonder where it was relative to the eye, etc...

Fortunately, at landfall, it was nowhere near this large. I hate to even think about it.

[feederband]

Whoooo !!! 131 footer surfs up dude........NOT!!!!!

[PTrackerLA]

I've seen damage from the Pensacola beach area that looks as if waves were crashing on the tops of some 2 story ocean front condos because they all had similar damage...just the front parts of the roofs had caved in. The row of condos directly in fron of these were completely washed away and they were built 12 ft. off the ground .

[patsmsg]

I've seen damage from the Pensacola beach area that looks as if waves were crashing on the tops of some 2 story ocean front condos because they all had similar damage...just the front parts of the roofs had caved in. .

Well, given the 8 foot storm surge (that takes care of the first floor there), it wouldn't take a HUGE wave to do exactly what you describe. What? 8-10 feet more to get to the roof? Seems highly possible to me.

[mf_dolphin]

We have to remember the the waves are on top of the storm surge. So if you have an 8 foot surge and a 12 ft wave that's 20 feet from sealevel.

[patsmsg]

Exactly.

[SunnyThoughts]

Thats just terrifying. I do know that the local authorities believe that a large wave caused the I10 bridge to give way..I suppose it wasn't nearly as high as this...but to think about a wave that high...is almost incomprehensible.

[CFL]

I'm still amazed when I drive down Scenic Highway and see that entire bottom floors washed away. These condos and townhouses aren't on the Gulf. . . they are on the Escambia Bay!

[Brent]

I'm still amazed when I drive down Scenic Highway and see that entire bottom floors washed away. These condos and townhouses aren't on the Gulf. . . they are on the Escambia Bay!

I think that's how Gulf Breeze had a surge right? (From the Sound, since they never had a north wind as the eye passed to the west).

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

So your telling me that a tidel wave hit the Gulf Coast in Ivan.

[SunnyThoughts]

CFL... it amazes me also. I live in Pace...about 1/2 mile from escambia bay..in Floridatown. Those beautiful homes on the waterfront in Floridatown were gutted...clothes, washingmachines...etc...scattered hundreds of feet into the trees and underbrush between the bay and my house...we live on a hill (which saved us) along with so many trees between the water and my home. IT definitely will be a LONG LONG time for things to return to normal around here...if ever.

[Aslkahuna]

An open water storm wave is way different from a tsunami and a 100 foot storm wave would have tripped and broken long before reaching shore. From the report, it looks like this was a rogue wave resulting from interference between conflicting wave/swell trains and currents.

Steve

[Brent]

Thats just terrifying. I do know that the local authorities believe that a large wave caused the I10 bridge to give way..I suppose it wasn't nearly as high as this...but to think about a wave that high...is almost incomprehensible.

This was used for the Tsunami and this is only a 30 foot tall wave...

These happen all the time during even minimal hurricanes.

Just imagine it three times as large.

[Aslkahuna]

A tsunami is more akin to a storm surge (albeit a high speed one) where the actual sealevel rises rather than a breaking wave on the shore.

Steve

[SunnyThoughts]

I came across this right after the storm...not so sure how TRUE it is...but worth the look anyway.



http://www.big-boys.com/articles/hurricaneivan.html

[Stratosphere747]

I came across this right after the storm...not so sure how TRUE it is...but worth the look anyway.



http://www.big-boys.com/articles/hurricaneivan.html

Very true and it's real video. It's nowhere near the coast, and I'm fairly positive that is footage from the Cortes Banks about a 100 miles off the San Diego coast.

[wxman57]

We have to remember the the waves are on top of the storm surge. So if you have an 8 foot surge and a 12 ft wave that's 20 feet from sealevel.

Are you talking about an 8 foot storm surge over land with 12 foot waves on top? If so, then that would not be possible. Wave height is dependent on water depth. A wave will break at 2/3 water depth. That's about 5 1/2 feet for water depth of 8 feet. And that 5 1/2 feet is from crest to trough, so the actual height above the initial 8 foot surge would be 2 3/4 feet, making a total height of 10 3/4 feet. However, if the surge is over water, say 10 feet deep, then that would make the initial water depth 18 feet, allowing ror a 12 foot wave and a total water height of 24 feet.

[mitchell]

An open water storm wave is way different from a tsunami and a 100 foot storm wave would have tripped and broken long before reaching shore. From the report, it looks like this was a rogue wave resulting from interference between conflicting wave/swell trains and currents.

Steve

EXACTLY...the gulf buoys are in deep water...deep water and 120 mph winds can support huge waves...easily 30-50 foot BUT...the continental shelf TOTALLY trips the and causes them to decay muliple times beofre reaching the shore. PLEASE don't get the impression that ANY shorefront buildings saw 20 foot waves on the gulf. It doesn't happen. Ocean waves break in water 3/4 deep as their height. 9 foot deep water supports 12 foot wave heights.