What does ‘storm surge’ even mean?

Storm surge is considered one of the greatest threats during a hurricane, the National Hurricane Center says.

Surge is the rise of water associated with a storm, above and beyond the typical tides. Wind circulating around the storm pushes the extra water toward shore, NOAA says.

The higher water can cause coastal flooding and is made worse when it coincides with a high tide.

Beaufort County emergency officials are warning of the possibility of 4 to 6 feet of storm surge from Sunday night through Monday.

For comparison, water inundation along South Carolina’s coast during Hurricane Matthew was 3 to 5 feet above ground level, according to NOAA’s final report.

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This story was originally published September 10, 2017 at 12:06 PM with the headline "What does ‘storm surge’ even mean?."