Hurricanes are America’s most destructive natural hazards, causing more deaths and property damage than any other type of disaster. Since 1980, these powerful tropical storms have done more than US$1.5 trillion in damage and killed more than 7,000 people.

But storm surge forecasts at high resolution can be slow. As a coastal engineer, I study how storm surge and waves interact with natural and human-made features on the ocean floor and coast and ways to mitigate their impact.

Storm surge from Tropical Storm Bertha caused flooding at city parks in Pensacola and Milton, but there was no major damage reported from the storm.

VIRGINIA BEACH — A coalition of conservation groups are raising concerns over a proposed Lynnhaven Inlet storm surge barrier that could be built as part of a series of large flood protection projects in the city.