American Meteorological Society Certification (AMS) Practice

The phenomenon created by strong surface winds in a hurricane is storm surge. During a hurricane, as the system moves over warm ocean waters, it generates powerful winds that blow over the sea surface. These winds push water toward the shoreline, leading to an increase in water level known as storm surge. This rise in sea level can cause significant coastal flooding and is one of the most dangerous aspects of a hurricane.

Storm surge is specifically associated with the low-pressure system of a hurricane, which allows the winds to accumulate water and drive it inland as the storm approaches the coast. Unlike tornado formation, which is typically associated with severe thunderstorms and not directly a consequence of the hurricane's wind pattern, storm surge is closely linked to both wind speed and the structure of the storm.

Additionally, while thunderstorms may develop in association with hurricanes, they are more the result of the complex interactions within the storm rather than a direct product of surface wind strength. Wind shear, the change in wind speed and direction with height in the atmosphere, is also relevant to storm development and organization but is not created by surface winds.

In summary, the powerful surface winds of a hurricane lead to the significant rise in ocean water levels at the coast, marking storm surge as the correct phenomenon associated with