Coastal flood warning
Encyclopedia
A Coastal Flood Warning is issued by the National Weather Service
of the United States
when coastal flooding is either imminent or occurring along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean
, Pacific Ocean
, or the Gulf of Mexico
. The flooding must be due to water being forced from the nearby body of water onto the land, and not from rainfall. Nor'easters, hurricanes, tropical storms, and thunderstorms can all lead to the issuance of a Coastal Flood Warning.
.
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when coastal flooding is either imminent or occurring along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, or the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. The flooding must be due to water being forced from the nearby body of water onto the land, and not from rainfall. Nor'easters, hurricanes, tropical storms, and thunderstorms can all lead to the issuance of a Coastal Flood Warning.
Example
The following is an example of a Coastal Flood Warning issued by the National Weather Service office in Taunton, MassachusettsTaunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
.
613
WHUS41 KBOX 262050
CFWBOX
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
350 PM EST WED JAN 26 2011
...POCKETS OF LOW END MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING POSSIBLE DURING
THE EARLY THURSDAY MORNING HIGH TIDE CYCLE...
MAZ007-015-016-019-022-270500-
/O.UPG.KBOX.CF.A.0001.110127T0600Z-110127T1300Z/
/O.NEW.KBOX.CF.W.0001.110127T0600Z-110127T1300Z/
EASTERN ESSEX MA-SUFFOLK MA-EASTERN NORFOLK MA-
EASTERN PLYMOUTH MA-BARNSTABLE MA-
350 PM EST WED JAN 26 2011
...COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 8 AM EST
THURSDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A COASTAL
FLOOD WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 8 AM EST
THURSDAY. THE COASTAL FLOOD WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS WILL CAUSE SEAS TO BUILD RAPIDLY
TONIGHT. THIS IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN A STORM SURGE OF 2.0 TO
2.5 FEET AROUND THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.
THIS WILL RESULT IN MINOR COASTAL FLOODING...WITH THE POSSIBILITY
OF LOW END MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING IN A FEW LOCATIONS. THERE IS
ALSO THE POTENTIAL FOR BEACH EROSION...ESPECIALLY ALONG OUTER CAPE
COD.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A COASTAL FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR
MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING. MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING PRODUCES
WIDESPREAD FLOODING OF VULNERABLE SHORE ROADS AND/OR BASEMENTS
DUE TO THE HEIGHT OF STORM TIDE AND/OR WAVE ACTION. SOME ROAD
CLOSURES MAY BE NEEDED.
&&
ALL TIDE HEIGHTS ARE RELATIVE TO MEAN LOWER LOW WATER.
TIME OF HIGH TOTAL TIDES ARE APPROXIMATE TO THE NEAREST HOUR.
BOSTON HARBOR
TOTAL ASTRO
TIDE DAY/TIME TIDE SURGE WAVES FLOOD
/FT/ /FT/ /FT/ /FT/ CATEGORY
------- ---------- ------- ------- ------- ----------
9.5 26/04 PM 9.4 0.1 1-2 NONE
11.7 27/05 AM 10.4 1.3 2-3 NONE
9.0 27/06 PM 8.9 0.1 1 NONE
10.3 28/06 AM 10.2 0.1 1 NONE
8.7 29/07 PM 8.6 0.1 1 NONE
10.3 29/07 AM 10.1 0.2 1 NONE
NEWBURYPORT
TOTAL ASTRO
TIDE DAY/TIME TIDE SURGE WAVES FLOOD
/FT/ /FT/ /FT/ /FT/ CATEGORY
------- ---------- ------- ------- ------- ----------
7.9 26/05 PM 7.8 0.1 1-4 NONE
9.6 27/05 AM 8.5 1.1 8 NONE
7.6 27/06 PM 7.4 0.2 4-6 NONE
8.4 28/06 AM 8.3 0.1 2-3 NONE
7.3 29/07 PM 7.2 0.1 1 NONE
8.4 29/07 AM 8.2 0.2 1 NONE
GLOUCESTER HARBOR
TOTAL ASTRO
TIDE DAY/TIME TIDE SURGE WAVES FLOOD
/FT/ /FT/ /FT/ /FT/ CATEGORY
------- ---------- ------- ------- ------- ----------
8.7 26/04 PM 8.6 0.1 2-4 NONE
10.8 27/05 AM 9.6 1.2 9-10 NONE
8.4 27/06 PM 8.2 0.2 5-7 NONE
9.5 28/06 AM 9.4 0.1 3-4 NONE
8.1 29/07 PM 8.0 0.1 2 NONE
9.5 29/07 AM 9.3 0.2 2 NONE
REVERE
TOTAL ASTRO
TIDE DAY/TIME TIDE SURGE WAVES FLOOD
/FT/ /FT/ /FT/ /FT/ CATEGORY
------- ---------- ------- ------- ------- ----------
9.0 26/04 PM 8.9 0.1 3 NONE
11.2 27/05 AM 9.9 1.3 7-8 NONE
8.6 27/06 PM 8.5 0.1 4-6 NONE
9.8 28/06 AM 9.7 0.1 2-3 NONE
8.3 29/07 PM 8.2 0.1 2 NONE
9.8 29/07 AM 9.6 0.2 1 NONE
SANDWICH HARBOR
TOTAL ASTRO
TIDE DAY/TIME TIDE SURGE WAVES FLOOD
/FT/ /FT/ /FT/ /FT/ CATEGORY
------- ---------- ------- ------- ------- ----------
9.3 26/05 PM 9.0 0.3 2-3 NONE
11.3 27/05 AM 10.0 1.3 7-9 MINOR
8.8 27/06 PM 8.6 0.2 3-4 NONE
9.9 28/06 AM 9.8 0.1 2-3 NONE
8.4 29/07 PM 8.3 0.1 1-2 NONE
9.8 29/07 AM 9.7 0.1 1 NONE
PROVINCETOWN HARBOR
TOTAL ASTRO
TIDE DAY/TIME TIDE SURGE WAVES FLOOD
/FT/ /FT/ /FT/ /FT/ CATEGORY
------- ---------- ------- ------- ------- ----------
9.2 26/05 PM 9.0 0.2 1-3 NONE
11.3 27/05 AM 9.9 1.4 5-6 NONE
8.7 27/06 PM 8.5 0.2 3-4 NONE
9.8 28/06 AM 9.7 0.1 2-3 NONE
8.3 29/07 PM 8.2 0.1 1 NONE
9.7 29/07 AM 9.5 0.2 1-2 NONE
CHATHAM - EAST COAST
TOTAL ASTRO
TIDE DAY/TIME TIDE SURGE WAVES FLOOD
/FT/ /FT/ /FT/ /FT/ CATEGORY
------- ---------- ------- ------- ------- ----------
6.8 26/05 PM 6.6 0.2 3-5 NONE
8.6 27/05 AM 7.2 1.4 12-13 MINOR
6.4 27/06 PM 6.2 0.2 6-8 NONE
7.0 28/06 AM 7.0 0.0 3-4 NONE
6.1 29/07 PM 6.0 0.1 1-2 NONE
7.2 29/08 AM 7.0 0.2 1-2 NONE
CHATHAM - SOUTH COAST
TOTAL ASTRO
TIDE DAY/TIME TIDE SURGE WAVES FLOOD
/FT/ /FT/ /FT/ /FT/ CATEGORY
------- ---------- ------- ------- ------- ----------
6.1 26/05 PM 5.8 0.3 2 NONE
7.6 27/05 AM 6.3 1.3 4 NONE
5.6 27/06 PM 5.5 0.1 2 NONE
6.2 28/07 AM 6.2 0.0 1 NONE
5.4 29/07 PM 5.3 0.1 1 NONE
6.3 29/07 AM 6.1 0.2 1 NONE
BUZZARDS BAY - WOODS HOLE
TOTAL ASTRO
TIDE DAY/TIME TIDE SURGE WAVES FLOOD
/FT/ /FT/ /FT/ /FT/ CATEGORY
------- ---------- ------- ------- ------- ----------
1.1 26/03 PM 1.0 0.1 2 NONE
3.1 27/02 AM 2.1 1.0 3 NONE
1.9 27/02 PM 1.3 0.6 2 NONE
1.8 28/03 AM 2.0 -0.2 1 NONE
1.2 28/03 PM 1.2 0.0 1-2 NONE
2.1 29/04 AM 2.0 0.1 1 NONE
SCITUATE
TOTAL ASTRO
TIDE DAY/TIME TIDE SURGE WAVES FLOOD
/FT/ /FT/ /FT/ /FT/ CATEGORY
------- ---------- ------- ------- ------- ----------
9.0 26/04 PM 8.9 0.1 3-4 NONE
11.2 27/05 AM 9.9 1.3 9-10 MINOR
8.5 27/06 PM 8.4 0.1 5-7 NONE
9.8 28/06 AM 9.7 0.1 3-4 NONE
8.3 29/07 PM 8.2 0.1 2 NONE
9.8 29/07 AM 9.6 0.2 2 NONE
$$