The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
Virginia Beach and Miami are almost completely different in terms of culture, population and nightlife. But according to a report, there's at least one similarity.
The two cities are the top two areas of the country most at risk for residential damage from storm surge of a Category 5 hurricane, according to a report to be released Monday.
The findings come from a study by The First American Corp. of 13 metropolitan areas along the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico.
A Category 5 hurricane could cause $39 billion worth of residential damage and affect more than 250,000 properties in Virginia Beach and surrounding areas, the report says.
"These are the properties that would be subject to storm surge," said Howard Botts, First American's executive vice president and director of database development.
However, waters off our coast are considered to be too cool for a Category 5 storm to hit the state.
The last three tropical storms to make U.S. landfall in Virginia were Doria in 1967, Dean in 1983 and Danielle in 1992, said Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wakefield. None were at hurricane strength when they hit.
Although Hampton Roads is often affected by hurricanes that make landfall in North Carolina, a storm must take an unusual track to make landfall in Virginia, he said.
A Category 1 hurricane striking the Virginia Beach area could cause $7.4 billion in residential damage in Hampton Roads, the report said.
That's just to structures; it doesn't count vehicles, furniture and other contents, Botts said.
"It is true that storm surge is going to do more damage than wind in most cases," said Bob Spieldenner, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
"That's the big thing for us, is making sure people understand they live in a storm surge area and what the impacts would be in that area."
To find out more about your flood risk, enter your address at FloodSmart.gov or contact your local emergency management agency.
Patrick Wilson, (757) 222-5150, patrick.wilson@pilotonline.com
Twitter users: Follow reporter Patrick Wilson here.
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Looks like I'll have to
Looks like I'll have to truck on down to Northern Hardware and pick up a bigger pump for back yard now that I know the facts.
History Lesson
In recorded history, how many Cat 5's have hit Va Beach ?
ans; 0
Cat 4's ?
ans; 0
Cat 3's ?
ans; 0
Cat 2's ?
ans; 0
Gee, after reading this article, I'm so scared . . .
Hurricane History
You do realize that First Landing State Park used to be part of an island, that the mouth to Lynnhaven Inlet used to be Little Creek, and all of Willoughby Spit was created by a several hurricanes in a few decades? Perhaps this was in those historical volumes dealing with the years prior to 2000 that you may have not gotten to yet.
life with a view
Maybe a storm surge would reveal whats missing from VA. Beach's oceanfront.
A westerly sun.
first american
wrote article.
they sell insurance----
wonder if the article will motivate folks
to buy more insurance?
advertorial maybe
Gee wiz
Man on man, this is news ? I guess it must be for all the come heres that don't realize that we get hurricanes. And tornados. And storms like the Ash Wednesday storm. And storms like the one in the late 30's that put Norfolk underwater. And storm like the one last November. And I see lots of falling stars coming down around my property. And since I live under the glide path to the airport, I fully expect a airplane to fall out of the sky onto my house someday. And fwiw, all day long, Navy and Coast Gaurd helicopter pilots take the short cut and fly right over my house instead of staying on the water route. Plus we get really big snowstorms sometimes. And I try not to even thing about all the potential terrorist targets right here in our home town. Jeepers.
Then
There would be alot more houses in VB underwater than there is now.
Title of this article should have been DUH!
Really, Category 5, huh?
Really, Category 5, huh? Well, while they're at it they should just go ahead and run projections on the damages caused by several 100-meter asteroids impacting Town Center, and the damages caused by stampede if dinosaurs were suddenly to become un-extinct. Possible, but not probable.
Flooding
If we paid someone for developing "FloodSmart" web site, we got royally screwed! It's useless for the Virginia Beach area.
Plan Now to Restrict Development in Potential Surge Zones
The former notion of free-fire building up to the edge of water or along the edge of the beach are both ideas of the past. Besides being just foolish to begin with, to expose investments and assest to the potential damage and loss due to anticipated storm events is short-sighted to say the least. Used to be a restraunt at the First Street Recreation and Surf Park but it was taken out of further service by the ocean surging from the inlet and inundating the structure with sand and sea, used to work there. Recent storms have pushed tidal waters into many yards and homes locally. It is only a matter of time before ocean front condo-caves and hotels will suffer damage and loss from rushing waters and driving winds. Now is the time to impose restrictions on rebuilding structures that have suffered damage directly attributed to significant storms and tidal water surges. If it happened once, it will happen again, and again, and again. Man cannot design to beat nature, best to design to merge with and accommodate, and stay the heck well back from the sea - impedes water quality and to date all are just plain UGLY