COMPARING AND CONTRASTING THE STORM SURGES OF HURRICANE RITA AND IKE

Storm surges from both Hurricanes Rita (2005) and Ike (2008) have devastated the coastal areas of Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana. Yet, the sustained wind speed, approach, speed of movement, and size of wind field of these two hurricanes were very different. Hurricane Rita was a strong hurricane (category 3), striking the Gulf Coast along the Texas-Louisiana Border. Storm surges heights peaked within 50 km east of where the Rita's eye made landfall and were in excess of 4 m above sea level. During Hurricane Ike, locations that experienced Rita's maximum storm surge had similar storm surge heights during Ike, even though Ike made landfall in Galveston, Texas, 100 km west of were Rita made landfall and was only considered a moderate hurricane (category 2). Hurricane Ike's storm surge is more typically associated with much stronger category 4 and 5 hurricanes. Analysis of the coastal area before and after Hurricane Ike and how Ike's damage to the coast compares to damage caused by Hurricane Rita will be addressed detailing how a hurricane's oblique angle of approach to a shoreline and very large wind field can greatly intensify a hurricane's storm surge beyond what is typically expected.