Storm Surge/Tide — Lower St. Bernard, Louisiana

2018-10-09 to 2018-10-10 · Lower St. Bernard, Louisiana

Event narrative

Minor coastal flooding occurred outside of the Hurricane Storm Damage Risk Reduction System resulted in a few roads becoming impassible near Shell Beach. The National Ocean Service gauge at Shell Beach measured 3.39 feet (MHHW) of storm surge.

Wider weather episode

Hurricane Michael was first classified as a Potential Tropical Cyclone on October 6th in the northwest Caribbean Sea. It became a Tropical Storm at midday on the 7th, and a Hurricane on the morning of the 8th as it passed by the western tip of Cuba. Michael continued to strengthen to a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall near Panama City, Florida during the afternoon of the 9th. The pressure gradient between the tropical system and high pressure over the eastern U.S. caused a long duration of moderate east to southeast winds across the northern Gulf of Mexico resulting in higher than normal tides across southeast Louisiana and coastal Mississippi.

Impacts over the local area were limited to marine wind and minor coastal flooding issues.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 783700. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.