MANILA, Philippines – Storm surge first burst into Filipino consciousness when Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) caused water levels to rise by 15 feet in parts of Eastern ...

The surges would have been higher, if not for the Manila Bay breakwaters and seawall. Another factor that worsened the effect of the storm surge in Tacloban is the city’s location: Yolanda may ...

Almost half of all deaths from tropical cyclones come from storm surge. While many people focus on the storms’ wind speed, the bigger danger often comes from water flowing in from the ocean.

Atmospheric pressure from the storm also helps squeeze the water ashore. The shallower the continental shelf, the higher the threat of a dangerous surge. The waters may take a couple of days to ...