Extreme Storm Surge Documented by Marsh Grass

Perhaps one of the most telling signs of an enormous storm surge from hurricane Matthew is the evidence in the photograph on the left taken several days after an enormous surge topped the causeway to Bears Island and left marsh grass stuck in the upper branches of a pine tree.. The marsh grass is nearly five feet above the causeway and the causeway itself is about 4 feet above the mean sea level of the intra-coastal waterway (see water in the background).

The U.S. Geological Survey team was conducting extensive measurements of storm surge in South Carolina but this location was not surveyed since it was on private property outside of their purview.  If you look closely at the foot of the pine tree, there is planking from a dock that was swept away during the storm and got lodged behind the causeway and its long row of trees.

By chance today, I ran into two U.S. Geological Survey workers who were measuring the storm surge levels on the rivers of Beaufort County and along the Atlantic coast. They were kind enough to provide the URL for the surge data for Hurricane Matthew for its entire path along the eastern seaboard. 

Storm Surge Data Released

I checked out Beaufort County data and identified a peak height of the surge on Colleton River at 8.68 feet measured at 7:19AM on October 8, 2016 using an automatic sensor. Another site near Bears Island was measured by the seed line method on October 15, 2016 and revealed a peak surge level of 8.85 feet.  To understand how peak surge is calculated, the diagram below shows how normal high tide and storm surge combine to create storm tides.

You can access all of the storm surge data at:  stn.wim.usgs.gov/fev

Since the data collection efforts are ongoing you can expect to see more data added to this live website over the next two weeks. These peak surge levels are far higher than were anticipated based on the National Weather Service predictions issued the day before the hurricane hit Bluffton, South Carolina.

Flooding on River Systems

The USGS has posted the "water footprint" of Hurricane Matthew at the following website which provides an indication of the storm's impact to river systems along the east coast:
https://owi.usgs.gov/vizlab/hurricane-matthew/

The USGS has established a Hurricane Matthew website that includes a whole range of relevant hurricane impact data. The site can be accessed at: 
https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/hurricane-matthew

2016 Hurricane History for South Carolina

To view all of the hurricane and storms that have hit South Carolina this year please access the following NOAA website or see the image below for details.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tafb_latest/tws_atl_latest.gif

Sea Levels Rising from Climate Change

While sea levels  along the eastern seaboard are impacted by periodic hurricanes, there is an ongoing small but measurable increase in sea levels every year.  Sea levels have risen three (3) inches in the last twenty six (26) years according to data provided by EPA at its climate change indicators website:

Wind Speeds and their Impacts

Wind speeds during hurricane Matthew reached 88 miles per hour at 6:50AM on October 8, 2016 at the Hilton Head airport, a mere 5 miles away from Bears Island.  This was the strongest wind measured during hurricane Matthew in South Carolina. You can access measured wind speeds for hurricane Matthew at the National Weather Service website.  To determine the potential damage such winds can cause, the Beaufort Scale wind speed impacts is a good reference as shown below.

Force	Speed			Name	Conditions at Sea	Conditions on Land
	knots	km/h	mi/h
0	< 1	< 2	< 1	Calm	Sea like a mirror.	Smoke rises vertically.
1	1-3	1-5	1-4	Light air	Ripples only.	Smoke drifts and leaves rustle.
2	4-6	6-11	5-7	Light breeze	Small wavelets (0.2 m). Crests have a glassy appearance.	Wind felt on face.
3	7-10	12-19	8-11	Gentle breeze	Large wavelets (0.6 m), crests begin to break.	Flags extended, leaves move.
4	11-16	20-29	12-18	Moderate breeze	Small waves (1 m), some whitecaps.	Dust and small branches move.
5	17-21	30-39	19-24	Fresh breeze	Moderate waves (1.8 m), many whitecaps.	Small trees begin to sway.
6	22-27	40-50	25-31	Strong breeze	Large waves (3 m), probably some spray.	Large branches move, wires whistle, umbrellas are difficult to control.
7	28-33	51-61	32-38	Near gale	Mounting sea (4 m) with foam blown in streaks downwind.	Whole trees in motion, inconvenience in walking.
8	34-40	62-74	39-46	Gale	Moderately high waves (5.5 m), crests break into spindrift.	Difficult to walk against wind. Twigs and small branches blown off trees.
9	41-47	76-87	47-54	Strong gale	High waves (7 m), dense foam, visibility affected.	Minor structural damage may occur (shingles blown off roofs).
10	48-55	88-102	55-63	Storm	Very high waves (9 m), heavy sea roll, visibility impaired. Surface generally white.	Trees uprooted, structural damage likely.
11	56-63	103-118	64-73	Violent storm	Exceptionally high waves (11 m), visibility poor.	Widespread damage to structures.
12	64+	119+	74+	Hurricane	14 m waves, air filled with foam and spray, visibility bad.	Severe structural damage to buildings, wide spread devastation.

Source: https://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/scales/beaufort.html

Rainfall Adds to the Surge and Contributes to Tree Instability

The National Weather service measured 11.07 inches of rain falling on Hilton Head Island from 12 Noon October 7 to 12 Noon October 9, 2016. This deluge of nearly 12 inches of rain contributed to more flooding, higher storm surges and a greater instability to the root systems of trees and shrubs. Detailed data on rainfall from Hurricane Matthew is available from the National Weather Service.

Other Memorable Impacts

Hurricane Matthew caused many other impacts - other than meteorological.  For example,

Length of Evacuation:  4 days, 3 hours and 30 minutes (October 5 at 3PM to October 9th at 6:30PM)

Number of Houses without Electricity in South Carolina: 825,000 (as of October 8, 2016). More South Carolinians were without power (as measured as a percentage of the population) than any other state along the eastern seaboard. See chart below.

Source: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=28372

As of October 17, 2016 at 6PM, SCE&G reported only 190 power outages amongst its 49,264 customers in Beaufort County. Similarly, Palmetto Electric reported that power  was restored to the last 32 customers as of 5PM October 15, 2016. At the peak of the hurricane, a total of 61,000 of Palmetto Electric's customers were without power.

Length of Curfew

Beuafort county was under a 12 hour curfew from 7PM October 7th to 7AM October 8th. This curfew was repeated the night of October 8th.

Sunday October 16, 2016 continued to be another day of hurricane cleanup.  More than 2,000 more pine cones were removed and several truck loads of debris, dead branches and palm fronds.   The photos below document some of today's cleanup events.

Marsh Grass that washed onto the Shore -  It was moved
at least 30 to 50 feet inland

The Wheel Barrows taking a rest

Debris Removal Duty - Fortunately Nature's Recyclers
Consume Organic matter faster than Hurricanes Hit Bluffton

Removal of Pine Trees from a Farm field

This is what 1,000 Pine Cones Looks Like

In case anyone doesn't Believe our story, we actually counted
everyone of these 1,000 pine cones

Bears Island from Outer Space

Bears Island is located in Bluffton, South Carolina in the intra-coastal waterways. It can be reached by an 1,800 foot causeway that has been in existence for over 100 years going back to the days when it was the home for more than a dozen tenant farmers who lived in tabby shacks along its eastern shores. The causeway is visible in the above photo as a fine white line connecting Bears Island, (which is in the lower right of the photo) to the mainland.  Bears Island was once part of a grand plantation purchased by a New York City attorney in the late 1890s. The entire island was dedicated to agriculture for tenant farmers as late as 1980. The photo above - compliments of the U.S. Geological Survey - was taken circa 1990.  Hurricane Matthew did little damage to the island but it did damage the causeway.

House on Bears Island

Our house after hurricane Matthew. No real damage occured from the category 2 hurricane. Our good fortune was due to the winds coming from the north which allowed for our house to be protected by the forest to the north of the house. Note that all 9,000 pine cones are now gone from the lawn. 

Damage to Greenhouse - Before Repairs

Our greenhouse was damaged by the north winds - shearing off the tops of several rows of corrugated plastic covers.  We took the oppportunity to upgade the greenhouse to a higher quality, more long lasting rooding material. Fortunately, the structure was not damaged so repairs were easily completed in one day's time.

Greenhouse uindergoing repairs on October 15, 2016

Greenhousse repair worker in action

Greenhouse repair completed with long life UV Resiistant Cover

Chicken Coop during Repair work

Roof of Chicken Coop damage caused by Hurricane Matthew

We spent many hours collecting pine cones that fell from the hurricane's winds. Winds of 30 miles can hour can easily knock pine cones out of trees. So with winds as high as 80 miles an hour, you know we were quite busy collecting pine cones for several days on end.

The burning of 9,000 Pine Cones

The Island Packet has described the state of affairs in Bluffton with its daily headline banners. Here is what every local yokel is seeing.

October 5, 2016 or thereabouts

October 8, 2016

October 9, 2016

October 10, 2016

October 11, 2016

October 12, 2016

October 14, 2016

This blog post shows what things look like after the hurricane left us about five days ago. While we have power back, there are whole sections of Bluffton still without power - an estimated 20,000 customers as of today (October 14, 2016).

An Infinite Amount of Hurricane Debris

Pine cone cleanup on Bears Islansd, after hurricane Matthew,
October 14, 2016

The hurricane left a big mess in our backyard. We have already picked over 7,000 pine cones and another 7,000 branches and sticks that fell out of the nearby trees. You can see one wheel barrow full of pine cones in the foreground and another wheel barrow of pine branches right behind it.  It takes at least 45 minutes to an hour to collect a full wheel barrow full.

Pickup truck loads of debris being hauled away, October 14, 2016

There seems like an endless amount of debris all over the place. Yet for all of the mess, it is nothing compared to those who got hit by hurricane Matthew and then, shortly thereafter, got hit by a series of tornadoes that were spawned by the hurricane temperatures. The old pickup truck has come in quite handy for removing the debris. Fortunately, we have plenty of places to dump this stuff - out of sight and out of mind.

The Biggest Pine Tree in South Carolina

Perhaps the largest pine tree in all of South Carolina, October 6, 2916

Perhaps the largest pine tree in all of South Carolina was toppled by the hurricane.  The tree is located on my brother in law's property and it was so strong that the roots were never upended. Instead the tree was ripped down the middle and torn apart along its weakest axis. Apparently, this tree had been hit by lightning some 30 years ago and this weak spot was the tree's undoing last week.

A family affair on a fallen giant of the Low Country

David, Jessica and their two daughters are seen sitting on the largest pine tree in South Carolina.  While some may question the accuracy of this statement, two South Carolinians who have lived in the Low Country for over 60 years both said this was the largest pine tree they ever saw.  To the best of our knowledge, they were not intoxicated when they came to that conclusion.  For those who want to see for themselves, you can visit Colleton River Plantation and travel to the Dye Club House. Just before reaching the club house you will see the tree on your right hand side.

The gnash that felled a giant Pine Tree

The gnash down the middle of this tree was its undoing.  To get a sense of the scale of the tree, look at the shoes in the foreground. The tree had a 9 foot circumference at about 5 feet about ground level.

Grandmother and granddaughter on a giant
grand daddy Pine Tree

Our 3 year old granddaughter exploring one of
the casaulty trees of hurricane Matthew

Our three year old grand daughter had the courage to climb on this massive tree.  The tree, was well over 100 years old and towered over the tree canopy along Colleton River.

More Cleanup and More Cleanup

Like a wounded whale, the Pine tree fell before winds
reaching at least 80 miles per hour

Our son was on hand to help us with the cleanup

A  massive Live Oak fell near our island road connecting our house to
that of our brother in law.

Trees as Protectors

Whiile there were many trees that were toppled by the hurricane, we were most amazed at how many trees did NOT fall down - or if they did lean or topple - they did not hit nearby houses or sheds.  In fact, we have had a passionate debate today about the sentient nature of trees.  Do you think they are aware of their surroundings?  Do you think they are mindful of our hearths and homes? Well if you drive around Bluffton, South Carolina you could easily conclude that it is not statistically possible for thousands of trees to topple, lean or break and yet only a handful of houses were destroyed or damaged by falling trees or tree limbs. For example, we have over 12 pine trees near enough to our house to potentially fall on it - if the right winds and environmental conditions were present.  Yet with 80 mile an hour winds beating down on these trees for at least 12 hours, none of them fell and few branches were broken.  That to my mind, either represents a miracle (the religious perspective), good luck (the humanistic perspective) or a psychic confluence of the "Wood Wide Web" working to protect the forest and its inhabitants (the cosmic perspective). 

This tree split down the middle.

This tree was right next to the "splitter tree" and never lost a branch

Coastal Surge Waters - The Real Danger from Hurricanes

This dock lost its floating deck and by some miracle
the ramp connector survived

This is the elevated dock that connected to
the floatring dock. It survived even though some
boards were lost.

This live oak was toppled years ago but who would know
that exccept for the author's wife.

Other Issues Homo Sapiens Contend With

There are always other issues that take time
to fix and sewage overflow was one of them.

Hilton Head reopened even though there was
lots of work still left to do. It is a mess

Insurance adjustors are the new "Gods of the
Low Country"

A critique of “Preparing for the Worst”

The Island Packet, the leading newspaper serving Hilton Head and Bluffton, South Carolina, issued guidance on October 5, 2016 for those preparing for Hurricane Matthew.  I only came across their guidance 4 days after the hurricane passed by Bluffton.  For the benefit of others, I provide the Island Packet’s advice along with my critique of which items were really important and which were of trivial value. You can call this critique "theory" versus "reality" since my comments reflect what really happens when you only have 2 or 3 days to prepare for a hurricane.

The items in bold are those published on the front page of the Island Packet. The items highlighted in blue font are those that we considered to be the top priorities when "push came to shove" and we needed to evacuate our house in short order. Comments on our critique are most welcome. 

What you need to know

 Put together a hurricane kit in an easy to carry container.

  

       Reality: We never thought of such an idea nor do we think it makes sense if you plan to evacuate.

     Decide where to go in the event of hurricane evacuation and how to get there.   

      

      Reality: This advice makes sense for anyone in coastal South Carolina.  Given the rural nature of the state, the only logical destination is one furthest inland – that being Atlanta or Macon Georgia.

        Assign each family member a task to cut down on chaos.  

      Reality: This advice doesn’t work well when family members are waffling about leaving and don’t take the hurricane seriously.  The best approach is to lead by example.

      

     Make arrangement for pets – American Red Cross Shelters won’t take them.

      Reality:  This was irrelevant to our family since we don’t have pets.

      Catalog your possessions. 

      Reality:  This is a nice idea but an extremely low priority immediately before a hurricane. If you haven’t got such a list, don’t worry about it now when a hurricane is imminent.

      Photograph valuables. Make sure you have enough film or disk space for “Before” and “After” photos. There are several online tools, including smart phones and table apps that can assist you.

      Reality:  While this is a nice idea, this should not be done when a hurricane is imminent and other priorities take higher precedence. If this guidance is of any consequence, it is only with respect to before and after photos of your house, automobile or other major asset.

    

     Have adequate insurance. Read your policy. 

      Reality: This guidance is totally irrelevant before a hurricane. You either have insurance or you do not.  If you think you’re going to get insurance two days before a hurricane you had better call Auntie "M". She will tell you that you’re not in Kansas anymore. This item should be addressed after the hurricane (i.e. the “hard lesson” approach) or when you buy or lease your home (i.e. the “preferred approach”).

     Keep a list of emergency phone numbers nearby.

      

      Reality: This is a good idea but once again this is not what drives personal behavior two days before a hurricane strikes. You either have a Rolodex or cell phone directory with these numbers or you do not.

     

    Keep family records and documents accessible and protected. 

     Reality:  Once again, this is great advice that should be coordinated weeks before a hurricane – not two days beforehand.

        If you have a boat, consider safe anchorage options. 

     Reality: While this is a high priority for those with boats or other recreational items such as surf boards, kayaks, paddle boards, etc.,  it is not appropriate to leave these items in the water. Boats and other vessels should be removed from their docks and tied down on land – wherever possible.

    

       Purchase a cooler that keeps things cold for up to five or six days.  

     Reality: This advice is most pertinent to those who decide to ride out the hurricane. Those who decide to evacuate will have less need for a cooler if they already have a shelter location outside the hurricane’s path.

If a Hurricane Threatens

     Make sure your car is filled with gas.      

      Reality:  This is a top priority and should be done when it is highly probable the hurricane will arrive within less than a week.

        Refill prescription drugs.  

      Reality:  This is also a high priority but this guidance should also address the fact that many people – myself included – forgot to bring my prescription drugs with me when I evacuated. The proper guidance should be “Bring your prescription drugs with you and if you are running low be sure to refill the prescription.”

        Pack irreplaceable items such as photo albums, to take with you. Put an important family documents and records in a waterproof container.   

      Reality:  While this is great advice, such items should be left behind if there is not enough space for family members, pets and hurricane supplies in your car.

Around the House

     Close windows, doors and hurricane shutters. If you do not have hurricane shutters, close and board up all windows and doors with plywood.

      Reality:  This is definitely a high priority activity for those along the eastern coast of the United States. Projectiles can be smashed against windows and result in extensive internal damage to your house.  This activity took me and my son at least 3 or 4 hours of work to complete and it would have taken even longer if I had not found the numbering plan for the plywood covers for our 30 windows and located the special lock nuts that held the plywood in place. From a property protection perspective, this is the number 1 action item to be completed before evacuating or staying put and riding out the storm.

       Put loose outdoor items in storage. 

      Reality:  This is an excellent idea but it can only be implemented to a limited degree depending upon how much junk is hanging around your house and that of your neighbors.

       Turn off propane tank. 

      

     Reality:  We did not do this and I saw no reason to do so since our tank is a buried 250 gallon tank that was not affected by winds or storm surges.

       Unplug small appliances. 

     Reality:  I have always considered this a good idea especially if one these appliances might be accidentally turned on by a blast of wind or water entering the house.

    Turn refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting. Keep them closed as much as possible so food will last longer if power goes out. 

  

     Reality: While this is a good idea, it wasn’t one of the things we did.  Losing some food is not big deal. Losing one’s life is another story.

     Check for loose gutters and spouts. 

     Reality:  We did not do this since our house is less than 3 years old and the gutters are in fine condition.

        Move valuables to higher levels. 

      Reality:  This advice was not very relevant to our house which was built to meet FEMA flood protection standards.  Nevertheless, it still makes sense to take valuables off ground floor levels.

     Move furniture away from windows and cover with plastic.  

     Reality: This only makes sense if you have not boarded up your home like we did.

     Remove valuables, such as furniture and rugs from floor of house.

  

      Reality:  This makes sense for those who have homes not compliant with FEMA flood proofing standards.  This guidance should also address the need to remove furniture and rugs from outdoor porches where they are in real danger of becoming projectiles and/or could be totally destroyed by surge waters and hurricane winds.

      Secure Windows and Doors from the inside. 

       Reality:  This is definitely a top priority even if you board up your windows and doors.

      Trim dead trees. 

   

       Reality:  If you have the skills to use a chain saw or can hire someone to do such work for you, this is a great preventive measure. We removed a dead tree from our front yard 3 days before the hurricane.

  

      Anchor small sheds.  

      Reality:  While this sounds like a good idea it is not clear how such work would be accomplished if you only have 2 or 3 days to prepare for a hurricane.  Skip this idea and focus on the higher priority action items.

     Put chlorine in the pool; protect filter motor.  

      Reality: While we do not have a pool, this strikes me as a low priority to be dealt with after all other actions that protect life and property are completed.

      Dangerous chemicals, insecticides, herbicides, gasoline should be put in watertight containers and in a high spot.  

       Reality: This is a top priority action item – especially if your home relies on well water.

    Store drinking water in clean bathtubs, jugs and bottles. You should have enough water on hand for seven days.  

      Reality: Whether you evacuate or hunker down this is a top priority. Don’t wait to the last minute to search for water.  It disappears from grocery stores faster than any other food item just prior to a hurricane.

Tips for Your Cellphone

    Program emergency contact numbers.  

     Reality: This is a valuable idea but should not be done at the last minute.

     Designate someone out of the area as a central contact.  

      Reality:  While we did not do this during hurricane Mathew, it has merit – especially when others are concerned about your safety.

    Make certain all family members know whom to contact if they become separated. 

     Reality: This issue did not arise in our evacuation of Bluffton.  Our children, their spouses and our nearest relatives all had cell phones.

        Keep phone batteries charged at all times. 

     Reality:  This never became an issue since our cellphone was kept charged by our automobile charger during our evacuation. It is an issue for those who hunkered down and lost power during the hurricane.  This guidance might be expanded to suggest that cellphone users buy a solar charging device or keep a spare battery for use during power outages.

    Forward your home number to your cellphone number in the event of an evacuation.  

     Reality:  While sounds like a good idea, we never received any calls on our land line that indicated an evacuation was declared. We learned of the evacuation by checking the Internet site for the South Carolina emergency preparedness and by listening to 91.1 FM radio that carried news of the evacuation.

    Often in an emergency, text messages will go through quicker than voice calls. 

     Reality: This turns out to be a valuable tool for staying in touch and minimizing battery life associated with long cellphone calls.

When You Evacuate

Turn off electricity at the main breaker and shut off gas.  

      Reality: We did not do this and saw no reason to do so. Our electric line is underground.  Turning off the power would have turned off the refrigerator and we would have lost all of our food.  I am sure there is case to be made for turning off the power, but the Island Packet’s guidance did not convince me of its merits.

       Towels or rugs should be put around openings to reduce seepage.  

      Reality: While we did that for our house, we don’t think it was critical given that our house meets FEMA standards for elevation of the finished floor above the 100 year flood stage level.

    Lock all doors. 

      Reality: Definitely a good idea. While we certainly did lock all of our doors, it wasn’t because of potential vandalism – wed live on an island shared with my brother in law – we closed them simply to be sure the door didn’t get pushed open by wind or water.

        If there is something that’s really valuable to you, stick it in in the dishwasher and close the door.  

      Reality:  While this is a bizarre piece of advice, it might actually be worthwhile for those who are vulnerable to storm surge and do not meet FEMA flood protection and floor proofing standards.

     Register yourself as “safe” and “well” at www.redcross.org/safeandwell  or by calling 1-866-GET-INFO. Concerned family and friends can search for their loved one’s name, an “as of” date and the messages selected.  

      Reality: This is not something we did nor do I believe anyone will do without an explanation of its value.  Why would friends call Red Cross? This is way off the mark as a motivational tool for those trying to contact friends or family.

Items for Hurricane Kit

     Three to seven day supply of food and water; one gallon of water per person and pet per day; non-perishable packaged or canned food.

a.      Manual can opener and utensil

b.      First aid kit, prescription medication

c.      Special items for infants and the elderly

d.      Toiletries and hygiene items

e.      Extra clothing and shoes

f.       Flashlight and batteries

g.      Battery powered radio

h.      Cash

i.       Tools

j.       Keys

k.      Road maps, including evacuation routes

l.       Baby supplies

m.    Blankets and sleeping bags

n.      Games and books

o.     Plastic trash bags with ties and large zip close plastic bags

p.      Jumper cables

q.      Tire repair kit and pump

r.       If you plan on staying in an emergency shelter, take linens with you

s.      A copy of this newspaper section might also prove to be helpful

All of these items are highly recommended and we concur with the Island Packet’s list of items for your hurricane kit.  Whether hunker down, go to a shelter or visit relatives all of these items are of great value.

Conclusions

In summary, it is up to each of us to customize our own list of priorities based on our unique circumstances. What we will need will depend upon our decision to evacuate to a distant city, seek shelter nearby or hunker down in our home. It will also depend upon how much advanced planning we have done for emergencies and the composition of our family (i.e. whether your family contains elderly members, children, or you are living alone).  If our planning is left to the last minute, our priorities need to focus on the protection of our family and ourselves and then our property.  Prioritizing what is most important needs to be done well in advance of the hurricane’s arrival so that the protection of your life and property are not left to chance.