Learning Check Point

Quick Review:

Now that you have learned how both tropical and extratropical storms form, you should be able to explain how extratropical storms are different from tropical storms. Be sure that you are able to explain how "warm core" and "cold core" storm systems form and where.

Activate your learning:

Although the processes that lead to the storm development are different, their impacts can be quite similar. Tropical storms as well as extratropical storms frequently produce intensive coastal flooding or inundation, erosion, and other phenomena to occur. In this Activate your learning, you will explore these phenomena in more detail using NOAA's Storm Surge and Coastal Inundation website (Figure 5.28). This website explores some of the most prominent historical tropical and extratropical storms and their coastal impacts. Take a few minutes and read some of the storm summaries and answer the following questions. Most are short answer or fill in the blank. All of the answers can be found in the website and can be found by clicking on some of the subpages on the left hand side of the screen.

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Figure 5.28: Screenshot from NOAA's storm surge and inundation website. You should explore this website so you can answer the following questions. This material and the resource will come in very handy as you work through the rest of the modules in the course and as you prepare your final project for the course.
Credit: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/surge/

Questions

Now, take a few moments to think about what you just learned, then answer the following questions to test your knowledge.

Question 1 - Multiple Choice

Coastal inundation occurs when high waters flood supratidal areas near the coast. Of the following, which is not a mechanism that would produce coastal flooding of areas above the normal high tide?

a. extratropical storm surge
b. heavy precipitation
c. salt water intrusion
d. spring tides

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Question 2 - Multiple Choice

Total water level (TWL) realized by a coastal setting can be adding the effects of each of the following EXCEPT

a. Wave height
b. Tide position
c. Storm surge level
d. Coastal elevation

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Question - Multiple Choice

The impact of inundation and coastal flooding is among the most costly of all hazards globally. Here in the U.S. coastal states support as much as 81% of the U.S. population and generate about ______ percent of U.S. gross domestic product. In fact, ____ % of ports in the U.S. are located at or below 4 feet in elevation. Likewise more than _____ % of interstates in these states can be inundated by storm surge of 23 feet. Therefore it is clear that any disturbance to the population or economies of coastal states has the potential to result in catastrophic loss.

a. 72% of GDP; 83% of ports, 67% of interstates
b. 83% of GDP; 72% of ports, 67% of interstates
c. 67% of GDP; 72% of ports, 83% of interstates
d. 83% of GDP; 67% of ports, 72% of interstates

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Question 4 - Multiple Choice

Study the list of historical tropical storms from the period from 2000 to 2010. Which storms had the highest storm surge level: Hurricane Lili, Hurricane Gustav, Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Ivan, Hurricane Rita, and Hurricane Ike.

a. Ike
b. Ivan
c. Charley
d. Gustav
f. Lili

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Question - Multiple Choice

Of the list of extratropical storms below, inundation was substantial, but wave activity on top of storm surge exacerbated the level of damage. Which storm produced wave heights in the Mid-Atlantic of up to 40'? Nor'easter of 1912, New England Blizzard, The Ash Wednesday Storm, and The Perfect Storm.

a. New England Blizzard
b. Perfect Storm
c. Nor'easter of 1912
d. Ash Wednesday Storm

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