Storm Surges: Phenomena, Forecasting and Scenarios of Change

Storm surges are behind the geophysical risk of short term and abrupt inundating low-lying coastal regions known along most coasts of the world. They are related to meteorological phenomena, mostly wind storms. Storm surges represent a challenge for science and risk management with respect to short term forecasts of specific events but also with long-term changes of the statistics of storm surges due to anthropogenic global climate change, sinking coasts and estuarine water works. Storm surges are expected to become more severe in the coming decades and centuries because of ongoing and expected accelerated mean sea level, and much less so because of more energetic wind storms.