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line. In 1900, over 12,000 people drowned in Galveston, Texas when part of the city was covered by storm surge. This is one of the main reasons that coastal areas are evacuated. Storm surge can be as small as 2-3 feet in a weak tropical system and as high as 12-15 feet in a major hurricane. It all depends on the strength of the wind.
The high wind in a hurricane is another major problem. Falling trees and flying debris cause a significant amount of damage. Boarding up windows with 5/8" plywood will help to protect glass windows from all the airborne missiles. Persons living in wooded areas should take a moment to see how susceptible their houses are to falling trees. Several people have been killed in their homes as trees fell into their houses. Wind tunnel studies have shown that rocks and gravel are picked up by winds of 50-60 mph. Once the winds reach 75 mph, humans can no longer stand up, trees will be uprooted, and there will be numerous airborne missiles. To protect yourself from the high wind, you want to seek shelter on the lower floors of your home, in the center of the house, in a bathroom, or closet. Hide from the wind.
Lastly, and most importantly, the flooding begins. Enormous amounts of rain are dropped by hurricanes, sometimes as much as 15 to 20 inches. Eventually the ground can no longer absorb all of the water and flooding begins. Hurricane Floyd caused the worst flooding in North Carolina history. Prior to Floyd, Hurricane Fran had set all of the flood records. Hurricanes are floods in disguise and
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