Shell Beach leads the pack

                               Source: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/east/gmex/avn-l.jpg

Hurricane Isaac became better organized this afternoon as the outer bands of rain and wind lashed the Gulf Coast from Southeast Louisiana to the Florida panhandle. Isaac's surge began pushing water into coastal communities this afternoon. As of approximately 4PM CDT, Shell Beach, LA leads the pack with a storm surge of 6.83 feet and a storm tide of 7.81 feet. Here is a list of selected obs along the Gulf Coast.

Location                                     Storm Surge (ft)     Storm Tide (ft)
Shell Beach, LA                                     6.83                      7.81
Bay Waveland Yacht Club                     4.75                      5.62
Pascagoula, MS                                     4.22                      4.46
Coast Guard Sector, Mobile, AL           3.47                      4.16
Pensacola, FL                                        3.47                      4.01
Pilots Station East, SW Pass, LA          3.22                      3.39
Dauphin Island, AL                               3.16                      3.66
Grand Isle, LA                                       1.53                      1.92
East Bank1, Norco, B, Labranche, LA  1.41                      1.79

Data Courtesy NOAA Tides and Currents

Water level graph from Shell Beach, LA. Graphic courtesy: NOAA Tides and Currents

Water levels at Shell Beach have been steadily rising today. As of 12:00PM CDT, the observed water level approached six feet, which was about four feet above normal. This means the storm surge was approximately four feet. Water levels have risen at an even faster rate since noon, with the water level now approaching eight feet, which is nearly seven feet above normal.