🔍 Key Concepts

• tides vs. rainfall – what actually raises the sea level over a large coastal area? • barometric (air) pressure and winds in a hurricane – how they affect sea level • storm surge – what it is and how it relates to tides

💭 Think About

• Which of the choices can physically push or pile ocean water against the coast over many miles, raising the water level well above the predicted tide? • Does high or low barometric pressure raise sea level, and is that pressure difference alone usually enough to create "above-normal tides" in a hurricane? • Are torrential rains or high-altitude winds (like the jet stream) directly responsible for coastal water levels, or do they mostly affect conditions over land or in the upper atmosphere?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which option is directly related to abnormally high coastal water levels during hurricanes. • Eliminate any choices that primarily describe rainfall or upper-atmosphere phenomena, not ocean level changes. • Remember that hurricane-related coastal flooding often comes from sea water being driven inland, not just water falling from the sky.