Gulf Coast Hurricanes

Gulf of Mexico

Hurricanes: Powerful Agents Shaping the CoastClimate ChangeData ResourcesEconomic ImpactsEnvironmental ImpactsFlooding and Storm SurgeLand LossMaps and ImagesResponse and RecoveryHealth and SafetySignificant Gulf Coast Hurricanes

Science and the Storms

Science and the Storms: the USGS Response to the Hurricanes of 2005 [Image courtesy of USGS]

Science and the Storms: the USGS Response to the Hurricanes of 2005 is designed to give a view of the immediate response of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to four major hurricanes of 2005: Dennis, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma.

Topics vary from flooding and water quality to landscape and ecosystem impacts, from geotechnical reconnaissance to analyzing the collapse of bridges and estimating the volume of debris.

The purpose of this report is to inform the American people of the USGS science that is available and ongoing in regard to hurricanes. It is the hope that such science will help inform the decisions of those citizens and officials tasked with coastal restoration and planning for future hurricanes.

Hurricanes - Environmental Impacts

Pelicans roosting after Hurricane Katrina [Image courtesy of NOAA]

Wetlands and marshes are nurseries and breeding grounds for fish and wildlife. The wetlands and barrier islands of the Gulf Coast provide protected areas for flora, fish, and wildlife, defend against hurricane winds and storm surge, and protect coastal communities. Coastal restoration projects help re-establish vital fish and wildlife habitats and protect coastal communities against further hurricanes. The Congressional Research Service's "Report for Congress on Coastal Louisiana Ecosystem Restoration after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita" examines a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers program to help restore coastal wetland ecosystems.

Environmental Impact Resources

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2007 South Florida Environmental Report (SFER)
Description: [From the Web site] "The 2007 South Florida Environmental Report captures a year's worth of work -from May 2005 through April 2006, known as Water Year 2006. This timeframe includes environmental impacts from an unprecedented hurricane season that produced 26 named storms, including Hurricanes Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Impacts on South Florida were most severe from Hurricane Wilma, whose intense rainfall resulted in the highest recorded flows into and out of Lake Okeechobee. Fortunately, comprehensive restoration efforts to improve the lake were already under way. The Lake Okeechobee and Estuary Recovery Plan, announced in October 2005 and reported here, is helping to restore the ecological health of Lake Okeechobee as well as its fragile east and west coast outlets: the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries." Visitors can access the Executive Summary, Volume I and Volume II of the report from this page.
Resource Type: Management Plans and Reports
Resource Format: URL
Publisher: South Florida Water Management District