More deadly than wind, the storm surge from Hurricane Helene was devastating

TALLAHASSEE (AP) — In 2005, Hurricane Dennis landed near the Alabama-Florida state line as a Category 3 hurricane. Far to the east, Florida’s Big Bend — where Hurricane Helene is expected to come ashore — never even felt tropical storm strength winds, but it was still hit with a mass of water that devasted coastal communities.

That’s storm surge. It’s more deadly and destructive than wind and can make a significant impact far from the center of a storm. The most common way to measure a hurricane’s strength is the Saffir-Simpson Scale that assigns a category from 1 to 5 based on a storm’s sustained wind speed at its center, with 5 being the strongest. But that only tells part of the story.

While wind can tear off roofs, knock down trees and snap power lines, storm surge can push buildings completely off their foundations, can trap and even drown people in their homes, wash out roads and bridges, toss boats inland and hammer anything in its path.

“The leading cause of death from hurricanes is water, not wind,” said Craig Fugate, the former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency who previously ran Florida’s emergency management. And in the case of Hurricane Helene, predicted storm surge could be devastating in the coastal areas of the state’s Big Bend, where the peninsula meets the Panhandle. Forecasters say surge could be between 15 and 20 feet (4.5 to 6 meters).