How high's the water mama?
October 29, 2012 11:56 AM Subscribe
[sandyfilter] Can someone explain storm surge and sea levels?
My parent live near the upper Narragansett Bay, supposedly at nearly 800 feet above sea level. Nearby Save the Bay Drive which is right on the water is 780 ft.
Addresses on the actual Atlantic show altitudes in the teens and twenties as I'd expect.
So, how is there that much drop in Narragansett Bay? I could understand if there was a constriction before it emptied into the sea like Lake Pontchartrain.
Altitudes are vs. mean sea level, right? Sandy is moving slowly enough that there's concern that storm surge might last through three high tides. What does this mean for people not right on the water, but up a hill and across several acres from it?
Besides wind, there are two risks from water, right? Rain not being able to flow to the sea fast enough & finding alternate routes (flash flooding) and storm surge. What's the bigger risk in that area?
My parent live near the upper Narragansett Bay, supposedly at nearly 800 feet above sea level. Nearby Save the Bay Drive which is right on the water is 780 ft.
Addresses on the actual Atlantic show altitudes in the teens and twenties as I'd expect.
So, how is there that much drop in Narragansett Bay? I could understand if there was a constriction before it emptied into the sea like Lake Pontchartrain.
Altitudes are vs. mean sea level, right? Sandy is moving slowly enough that there's concern that storm surge might last through three high tides. What does this mean for people not right on the water, but up a hill and across several acres from it?
Besides wind, there are two risks from water, right? Rain not being able to flow to the sea fast enough & finding alternate routes (flash flooding) and storm surge. What's the bigger risk in that area?
Best answer: That veloroutes site is wrong. Google Earth shows elevations in that area around 20 to 50 feet above sea level. Wikipedia gives the elevation of downtown Providence as 75 ft.
posted by theodolite at 12:24 PM on October 29, 2012
posted by theodolite at 12:24 PM on October 29, 2012
Best answer: NOAA has a good explanation of storm surge.
Wikipedia has a good explanation of sea level.
posted by gyusan at 12:26 PM on October 29, 2012 [1 favorite]
Wikipedia has a good explanation of sea level.
posted by gyusan at 12:26 PM on October 29, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks all! Turns out the biggest risk is probably the nearby, lower fuel depot being inundated and catching fire/spewing airborne toxins at my parents. Google Earth: duh! I don't know why I didn't think of that for checking altitudes in the first place, so thanks.
They've reported in that they are very boring: didn't even lose power.
posted by morganw at 12:21 PM on October 30, 2012
They've reported in that they are very boring: didn't even lose power.
posted by morganw at 12:21 PM on October 30, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Lebannen at 12:23 PM on October 29, 2012