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Figure 100. (A) Map shows paths of hurricanes that impacted south Florida between 1952 and 1992 (from Lidz and Hallock, 2000; the time frame is relative to the 1952, 1963, and 1989 sampling years for the sedimentary petrology studies). The year and Saffir-Simpson intensity at time of landfall are: Donna (1960, Category 4); Betsy (1965, Category 3); Inez (1966, Category 1); Floyd (1987, Category 1); Andrew (1992, Category 4). Hurricanes Betsy and Inez reached maximum intensity of Category 4 over open water. Prior to landfall, Hurricanes Donna and Andrew were both Category 5 storms. Hurricane Floyd did not intensify beyond Category 1. (B) The Saffir-Simpson scale (Simpson, 1974) is a categorization based on destructive intensity (windspeed) of a hurricane. (For more information, see http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/nhurr97/SFSIMP.HTM.) (C) Storm-surge values depend on wind and wave height and on the shape and slope of the continental shelf in the landfall region. All else being equal, the shallower and lower-gradient the shelf, the higher the surge. The lower the coastal elevation, the farther inland the surge will penetrate. Storm categorization is used to predict property damage and flooding. For more information about storm-impact prediction, see (National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards). For information on impacts of 2004 storms (Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Jeanne, and Ivan) in Florida and along the Gulf Coast, see Hurricane and Extreme Storm Impact Studies.

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Coastal & Marine Geology Program > Center for Coastal & Watershed Studies > Professional Paper 1751