Storm surge

1. A rise above normal water level on the open coast due to the action of wind stress on the water surface. Storm surge resulting from a hurricane also includes that rise in level due to atmospheric pressure reduction as well as that due to wind stress. (See wind setup) 2. A departure from a normal elevation of the sea due to the piling up of water against a coast by strong winds such as those accompanying a hurricane or other intense storm. Reduced atmospheric pressure often contributes to the departure height during hurricanes. It is potentially catastrophic, especially, in deltaic regions with onshore winds at the time of high tide and extreme wind wave heights. (US Army Corps of Engineers, Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory Glossary, 2015)