Weather watchers recognize the true danger from a hurricane often arrives once the actual storm has subsided.

Storm surge flooding occurs when low-pressure combines with high winds to cause water levels to rise. Heavy rainfall can make the flooding threat even more acute.

Coastal areas and locations near major bodies of water (including rivers, lakes and estuaries) are especially at risk. Consider Hurricane Ida in 2009, which developed into a nor'easter with high winds and rain that pushed Chesapeake Bay water levels up as much as eight feet above normal.

As the 2024 hurricane season continues through November — along with its foreboding forecasts — the insurtech firm Guidewire announced the availability of data and maps detailing hurricane risk at the national, state and local levels in the United States. This information capitalizes on more than 1,000 HazardHub data points and risk scores.

The slideshow above illustrates the U.S. states most threated by hurricane storm surge, according to Guidewire's HazardHub risk scoring service.

Here are four historical occurrences that highlight the danger posed by storm surge:

• The 1970 Bhola cyclone killed up to 500,000 people in the area of the Bay of Bengal. The low-lying coast of the Bay of Bengal is particularly vulnerable to surges caused by tropical cyclones.
• Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 people in Myanmar in May 2008.
• Hurricane Katrina in 2005 produced a maximum storm surge of more than 28 feet in southern Mississippi.
• In 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused a storm surge of 14 feet in New York City.

See also:

• Getting ahead of impending CAT challenges
• Flooding & storm surge: What's the difference?
• 6 steps to prepare claims teams for hurricane season