World storm surge records
There's still not much to talk about the tropical Atlantic today. The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the band of intense thunderstorms that spans the tropical Atlantic between Africa and the Lesser Antilles Islands, has grown more active in the past few days, though. The two tropical waves in the ITCZ closest to the coast of Africa bear some scrutiny this week as they cross the Atlantic. However, none of the models are currently forecasting development of these waves, and there is plenty of wind shear and dry air that will interfere with potential development.
World storm surge records
In preparation for the release of a major new storm surge section of the web site, I've been researching storm surge records. The Bathurst Bay Cyclone, also known as Tropical Cyclone Mahina, which struck Bathurst Bay, Australia on March 5, 1899, is generally credited with the world record for storm surge. The cyclone's storm surge is variously listed at 13 - 14.6 meters (43 - 48 feet). The Category 5 cyclone was a monster--with sustained winds in excess of 175 mph and a central pressure between 880 and 914 mb. Mahina killed at least 307 people, mostly on pearling ships, and was the deadliest cyclone in Australian history. The eyewitness account of Mahina's record storm surge was provided by Constable J. M. Kenny, who journeyed to Barrow Point on Bathurst Bay to investigate a crime on the day of the storm. While camped on a ridge 40 feet above sea level and 1/2 mile inland, Kenny's camp was inundated by a storm wave, reaching waist-deep. On nearby Flinders Island, fish and dolphins were found on top of 15 meter (49 foot) cliffs. However, an analysis by Nott and Hayne (2000) found no evidence of storm-deposited debris higher than 3 - 5 meters above mean sea level in the region. They also cited two computer storm surge simulations of the cyclone that were unable to generate a surge higher than three meters. Indeed, Bathurst Bay is not ideally situated to receive high storm surges. The Great Barrier Reef lies just 20 - 40 km offshore, and the ocean bottom near the bay is not shallow, but steeply sloped. Both of these factors should conspire to keep storm surges well below the record 13 - 14.6 meters reported. The authors concluded that the actual surge from the Bathurst Bay Cyclone may have been 3 - 5 meters. The observed inundation at 13 meters elevation, plus the observation of dolphins deposited at 15 meters above sea level, could have been caused by high waves on top of the surge, they argue. Waves on top of the surge (called "wave run-up") can reach five times the wave height at the shore for steeply fronted coasts like at Bathurst Bay. Since waves in the Bathurst Bay Cyclone could easily have been 3 meters, 15 meters of wave run-up on top of the surge is quite feasible. Since wave run-up doesn't count as surge, the status of the 1899 Bathurst Bay Hurricane as the world-record holder for storm surge is questionable. However, the event is certainly the record holder for the high water mark set by a tropical cyclone's storm surge, an important category in its own right.
Figure 1. Satellite image of Bathurst Bay, Queensland Province, Australia. The record 43 - 48 foot storm surge wave occurred on Barrow Point, marked by an "x" on the map above. Image credit: NASA.
Figure 2. Track of the 1899 Bathurst Bay cyclone. Bathurst Bay is located at the point where the 914 mb pressure is listed. Image credit: Whittingham, 1958.
Australian storm surge records
The largest storm surges in Australia occur in Gulf of Carpentaria, due to the large expanse of shallow water there (the Gulf of Carpentaria is the large bay to the left of the zoomed-in map of Bathurst Bay shown above). According to an email I received from Australian hurricane scientist Jeffrey Callaghan, "From all reports the storm surge from the disastrous 5 March 1887 cyclone flooded almost all of Burketown (some 30km inland from the Gulf). A copy of a 1918 report to the Queensland Parliament from the Department of Harbours and Rivers Engineer refers to the sea rising to 5.5 metres above the highest spring tide level at the Albert River Heads. This level is about 8 metres (26.2 feet) above Australian Height Datum (AHD). The biggest measured surge in the Gulf of Carpenteria occurred on 30 March 1923, when a surge of 21.4 feet was recorded at a Groote Eylandt Mission".
So what is the world storm surge record if the Bathurst Bay cyclone does not qualify? Well, I haven't researched storms in the Indian Ocean or Pacific Typhoons yet, but it might be difficult to find any storm that beats Hurricane Katrina's 27.8 foot storm surge.
References:
Nott, J, N. Hayne, 2000: How high was the storm surge from Tropical Cyclone Mahina?", Australian Journal of Emergency Management, Autumn 2000.
Anonymous, 1899, The Outridge Report--The Pearling Disaster 1899: A Memorial", The Outridge Company, 1899
Whittingham, 1958, "The Bathurst Bay hurricane and associated storm surge", Australian Meteorological Magazine, No. 27, pp. 40-41. Scanned and put on-line courtesy of John McBride.
I'll have an update on Tuesday, when the latest CSU seasonal hurricane forecast comes out at 11am EDT.
.
Jeff Masters
Reader Comments
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1220 Aussie - THAT sucks
1226 456 - I wonder: Chicken, or Egg?
1272. StormW - I see what you are saying there, but doesn't the disturbance enhance the forcing already present. Is it a case of something competing with nothing?
Just to screw with us as usual. He did that last year.
That's why I provide updates to my family (as they live throughout the Carib. and Central America) of anything developing because at the very least they know why they're getting that stronger shower than usual or wind even if it does not develop.
Looking nice and circular.
John Hope used to wave his hand in a circular motion in front of a map of the Ctrl Atl & make them spin.
Yes, shear certainly not an issue at this point based on satellite imagery....nor issues creating and sustaining convection
I noticed we have an El Nino with a Modikki -- In Miami we call this an "El Pendejo".
Have your local weather mentioned it?? Obviously closer to you then many on the blog looks better than any invest so far.
This is a classic El Nino in the EPAC, not a Modikki in the CPAC
O o jejejeje
AOI looking good on the Atlantic Wide View Infrared Satellite Loop, notice the red and grey, and nice circular shape.
lol ...
"The Black Hole in the Bermuda Triangle"
I dont think so.
Lol. Quickly swap the sheets.
30Knots
It is easterly shear....
At Bathurst Bay, near Princess Charlotte Bay (Cape York) on 4 March, at least 307 crew members died from a pearling fleet of over 100 vessels plus other craft (with 152 sunk or wrecked, some found kilometres inland), as a result of a 14.6-metre storm surge associated with TC Mahina.
Over 100 Aboriginals also died in forest country and trying to help shipwrecked men when the back surge swept them into the sea and they drowned. Tonnes of fish and some dolphins were found 15m above sea level up to several kms inland and rocks were embedded in trees. On Flinders Is dolphins were found 15.2m up on the cliffs. On that night of 4 March, Constable J.M.Kenny reported that a 48-foot storm surge swept over their camp at Barrow Point (south of Cape Melville) atop a 40 ft (12m) high ridge & reached 3 miles inland, the largest storm surge ever recorded.
After crossing Bathurst Bay, Mahina - now generally known as the Bathurst Bay 'Hurricane' - continued on, with diminishing strength but caused considerable flooding, south-west across the peninsula to the south-eastern corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria. There it doubled back on its tracks & 'died' altogether over the land on 10 March.
lol..
This TW should be strong enough to fight off that small shear location. Specially with DMAX providing extra octane.
Which is beneficial. And I'm not sure it's 30 knots looking at the sat images.
Just popped in; didn't expect to see a pretty interesting feature in the CATL.
This CERTAINLY, at least IMO, looks better than 97L did when it was at this point, and 97L got mentioned, so this deserves mention, too.
That area near 8N 28W that we saw earlier has all but disappeared. The very high cold cloud tops are generating tremendous heat inside that convection which will drive down the pressure. I see nothing outside them to compete for where a surface low would likely develop.
1759. Weather456
456 I agree.
That visible convective burst will be warming a core & raising pressures aloft. If it persists, it could go.
Good to be in the "No Crow Zone" :)
yes i've seen lots of disturbances like this develop into storms in the last 10 seasons i've been following the weather online and this system has a much better chance for development than a lot of people believe.
Interesting to us....but not to NHC; seems like they have all eyes on the Pacific, and are letting this sneak up on them :)
That's always a possibility especially with the large T-storms coverage seen here.
i understand now...
Thanks.
And SLU: especially the NHC, as they give it a 0% chance of developing :)
Seems like you are impressed at this disturbance, Storm. Do you think this should be mentioned at 2 am?
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