Gulf coast a 'hotspot' for rising storm surge, study finds

As the state prepares for a hurricane season predicted to be above average , a new study shows storm surge may be worsening more than previously thought along much of the Gulf Coast, including southeast Louisiana.

The findings based on nationwide coastal data from the past 70 years indicate the southeastern Atlantic and eastern Gulf Coast are some of the worst hotspots for intensifying storm surge. The causes are still being determined, but warming waters and accompanying rising seas could be main contributors, the scientists from Princeton, Tulane and other institutions say.

“The Gulf Coast has a much more severe hazard for storm surge than the rest of the country – that’s kind of been known,” said D.J. Rasmussen, one of the study's authors. “What was not well known up until our stud