Winds are not the only destructive force associated with a hurricane. Nine out 10 victims of a hurricane are killed by the storm surge from the ocean. As a hurricane crosses the ocean and moves closer to shore, the ocean surface is drawn up in the storm's center like water through a straw and causes a mound 1-3 ft higher than the surrounding water. This can create coastal surges of 20 ft. or more which combines with the normal tide to create a hurricane storm tide (NOAA 1993). This storm surge inundates low-lying coastal areas, and carries debris which acts like battering rams (Miller 1967). In addition, accompanying the higher waters associated with a storm surge, are wind-driven waves which can reach a height of over 50 ft. out in the deep ocean and create massive swells that hit the coastline (NOAA 1993). These storm surges and accompanying waves can significantly affect natural systems near the shore and directly alter coastline ecosystems.
Floods associated with storm surges and hurricane rains likewise can cause large amounts of damage. Typically, 6-12 inches of rainfall occurs in the area a hurricane crosses. This can result in massive floods, especially in mountainous area where this amount of rain usually instigates flash flooding. In fact, one of the most widespread and damaging floods occurred as a result of Hurricane Agnes in 1972 during which flooding caused 118 deaths and $2.1 billion in property damage (NOAA 1993).