Why storm surges should be feared by coastal populations?

Flash flooding, extremely high gusts, and storm surge will be present when Henri makes landfall, which is expected to occur in southern New England or Long Island, New York.

Storm surge is the cause of about half of all fatalities caused by tropical storms.
Although many people concentrate on the storm’s wind speed, the threat frequently comes from the water coming in from the ocean.
You could be asking in private—and you wouldn’t be the only one—what exactly a storm surge is.
meteorologist Brandon Miller, a storm surge is an increase in water level brought on by a powerful storm’s wind pushing water toward the shore. The ocean water is physically piled up by the wind and pushed ashore.

There is nowhere for that water to go.
Flooding may also become worse due to storm surges. Water levels can rise as a result of congested rivers and streams farther upstream caused by the accumulation of water along the coast.
That water doesn’t simply evaporate. The amount of water that was driven ashore and the watershed of the area will determine whether it hangs around and causes more harm to the settlements.
Storm surge has grown more dangerous recently as a result of climate change.
“Over the past century, sea levels have generally increased by around 1 foot,” Miller said. “The higher baseline ocean level permits storm surges to go much higher, enhancing their destructive powers.

According to a National Weather Service analysis from 2014, Hurricane Katrina and a number of other significant, strong storms were responsible for the majority of surge deaths. The primary cause of fatality in the majority of storms is a heavy rainfall that results in drownings.