AccuWeather.com

The WeatherMatrix Blog

Oil in Wetlands Will Increase Hurricane Storm Surge

Jun 15, 2010; 11:29 AM ET

UPDATE: We now have a story up on the topic of wetlands and storm surge.

I haven't done any blogs on the BP Oil Spill up until now because I haven't been able to find a weather angle that others (including those writing the excellent stories in our AccuWeather.com Oil Spill Center) weren't covering, but I heard something on XM Radio the other night that I think might be a big point that's not being brought up much in the media.

The oil spill will add to continuing destruction of the Louisiana marshes & wetlands, which will increase storm surge to New Orleans and coastal Louisiana during the next hurricane.

PHOTO CAPTION: A bird flies over oil that has collected on wetlands on Elmer's Island in Grand Isle, La., Thursday, May 20, 2010. The oil came inland despite oil booms that were placed at the wetlands' mouth on the Gulf of Mexico. Oil from last month's Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the Gulf has started drifting ashore along the Louisiana coast. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

I give credit to Rachel Maddow for being the only person that I've seen covering this topic. In her video on June 3rd, she issues these facts:

- Approximately 2.7 miles of wetlands in the path of a hurricane will reduce storm surge by 1 foot.

- Wetlands protect against storm surge mainly because friction takes the energy out of the storm surge.

- 40% of U.S. wetlands are in Louisiana.

- 25-30 sq. miles of wetlands are already lost per year (or one football field per hour).

- This decrease (not counting the oil spill) is caused by erosion & subsidence due to (ironically) oil & gas extraction.

An article about the wetlands vs. oil spill on Boston.com adds:

"Louisiana has lost about 2,300 square miles of coastal marshes and barrier islands the last 80 years -- an area bigger than Delaware."

Of course, you may be able to find other numbers, or argue semantics or mathematics with me. And we don't even know what kind of storm the "storm surge by 1 foot" was based on, but the point is:

Wetlands matter and not just because of the reasons non-environmentalists can normally argue against -- because the marshes literally save lives during a Hurricane.

How much of the wetlands/marshes have been affected by the BP Oil Spill already? I couldn't find good answers to that; obviously some is occurring per the photo above. You can get a feel for it from NOAA's new Interactive Oil Map (screenshots from today below, hover over to switch form Observed Oil to Land Type, click to enlarge).

The Boston.com article said:

"No question we will see some widespread impacts," Garret Graves, chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana / But it All hinges on how much oil reaches the wetlands."

The worst-case situation that I can think of would be an early season storm that spreads the oil inland, then a late-season storm with an unusually high storm surge because the oil has killed the wetlands.

Why is removing oil from the wetlands such a problem? The article states:

"Removing oil from wetlands is a huge challenge. Bulldozers can't simply scrape away contaminated soil, as they do on beaches. Cutting and removing oil-soaked vegetation could further weaken the fragile vegetation that holds the marshes together. Absorbent materials and detergents have limited effectiveness, Graves said.

If a thick enough layer of oil coats hardy swamp grasses and shrubs, scientists say it could shut down their equivalent of breathing -- absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Even worse, the oil could soak into the ground and poison roots, killing entire plants. With nothing to anchor it, the soil would wash away."

And another article about potential solutions to restore the wetlands lists two out of three fixes that won't take effect until after Hurricane Season 2010.

If you're interested in reading more about what might happen when a hurricane hits the oil spill, check out our article "Florida to Louisiana under the Greatest Risk of Oil Contamination during Hurricane Season" or the NOAA Hurricane Oil Factsheet.

The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of AccuWeather, Inc. or AccuWeather.com

blogs Home >

Comments

Comments left here should adhere to the AccuWeather.com Community Guidelines. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.

J's Breaking Weather News

WeatherMatrix on Facebook

The J-Cams in HD

About The J-Cams

More Jesse Ferrell

A Record Early Hurricane Season?

May 23, 2012; 10:39 AM ET

Both the Atlantic and East Pacific tropical seasons got an early start; could Tropical Storm Bud become the earliest East Pacific major hurricane on record?

Eight Days and Weak: Blogitis, Silent Sirens, Other News

May 18, 2012; 12:50 PM ET

So I haven't blogged in over a week -- at least I had my nose in a book. Plus: What you missed it you're not following me on social media!

Strange Vertical Sunset Clouds in Pittsburgh

May 10, 2012; 12:37 PM ET

There were strange clouds sighted last night at sunset in Pittsburgh. The clouds looked like tornadoes, but I've had experience with these.

LRR and Tornado Eye: Interesting Weather Radar Images

May 8, 2012; 2:41 PM ET

I've got a story about a newly-discovered supercell thunderstorm component, and a radar image that may show the eye of a tornado.

500,000 Lightning Strikes Provide Awesome Photos

May 3, 2012; 12:59 PM ET

Already this week, over half a million lightning strikes have hit the Earth over the U.S., making for incredible lightning photographs across the nation.

Incredible Photos, Videos of a Tornado in France

Apr 30, 2012; 10:00 AM ET

Beautiful pictures of a tornado were captured in Southwest France Sunday. I show the photos and videos, as well as a radar image.

Maps: Tennessee MCS Shoves on through

Apr 26, 2012; 11:55 AM ET

A terrifying-looking Mesoscale Convective System moved through Kentucky and Tennessee and into North Carolina this morning, and I've captured its lifecycle on maps.

Which Storm Took Down Myer-Womble Observatory?

Apr 25, 2012; 12:41 PM ET

High winds at 14,000 feet took out the U.S.'s highest observatory this winter, but when did it happen? I investigate observations from nearby stations.

April Appalachian Snow Photos and Timelapse

Apr 23, 2012; 1:18 PM ET

The April Appalachian snow event is underway, and I've got photos and two awesome timelapse videos.

Models on Possible Bookend Northeast Snowstorm

Apr 20, 2012; 9:28 AM ET

The models are starting to agree on a possible "bookend" snowstorm in the Northeast in a few days, but first, the front with a possible squall line.

Behind the Scenes: NWS Spring Media Workshop

Apr 19, 2012; 1:37 PM ET

It was a pleasure to attend the NWS "Spring 2012 Media Workshop" today. We discussed River Forecasting / Drought Status, Forecasting PA Thunderstorms and Social Media.

Harrisburg, Columbia Flood Comparison Photos

Apr 17, 2012; 11:02 AM ET

The trick with getting flood photos to look impressive is to compare them to the same place when it's dry. Last week I revisited the 2011 Pennsylvania Flood areas to compare.

Don't Have A Cow: Simpsons Springfield Weather

Apr 11, 2012; 12:36 PM ET

The Simpsons live in Springfield, but what state? It would seem that Matt Groening has now set the record straight, but whither the weather featured in the show?

Pennsylvania Spring 2011 vs. Spring 2012, in Photos

Apr 11, 2012; 12:13 PM ET

Every spring, people say that flowers & trees are coming out earlier than last year. This year, they really are and I set out to prove it, by comparing photos I took in 2011 to 2012.

Before and After Images from Arlington Tornado

Apr 7, 2012; 7:51 AM ET

Our aerial comparison of the Texas tornado damage was interesting to see, but I zoomed in and got a street level view too.