STORM SURGE OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA ACCOMPANYING HURRICANE BETSY, 1965

Abstract

Selected tide water gage readings taken during hurricane Betsy, 1965, along the Mississippi River Delta and adjacent areas are graphically presented. The various processes involved in the change in tide water level associated with the passage of a hurricane are discussed. The data are divided into three main categories in order to show the storm surge response along the coast (Gulf Coast gages), on inland waterways (New Orleans area gages), and on an inland lake (Lake Pontchartrain gages). A discussion of surge elevation along the Mississippi River from the mouth upriver to New Orleans is also included. The topography of the City of New Orleans is described and the extent and probable cause of the flooding in the City are discussed. The storm surge elevations along the coast predicted by currently used methods are found to compare favorably with the actual readings during Betsy.