HURRICANE GEORGES: HEADWATER FLOODING, STORM SURGE, BEACH EROSION, AND HABITAT DESTRUCTION ON THE CENTRAL GULF COAST by D. Phil Turnipseed, Gerald L. Giese, J. Leroy Pearman, Gaye S. Farris, M. Dennis Krohn, and Asbury H. Sellenger, Jr. Prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey USGS Water Resources Investigations Report 98-4231 TABLE OF CONTENTS History of Hurricane Georges Meteorological Data Headwater Flooding     Biloxi River Basin     Tchoutacabouffa River Basin     Pascagoula River Basin     Mobile River Basin     Perdido River Basin     Escambia River Basin     Blackwater River Basin     Yellow River Basin     Choctawhatchee River Basin Storm Surge and Beach Erosion Chandeleur Islands Habitat Destruction in the Chandeleur Islands Contact Information References FIGURES 1. Central barometric pressure (in millibars), maximum sustained wind and forward speed (in miles per hour) for Hurricane Georges from September 16 through 30, 1998 2. Total rainfall from September 28 through 30, 1998, caused by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Georges. 3. Locations of selected river gages, recurrence intervals, and annual maximum peak discharge for six continuous-record discharge gages affected by severe flooding from Hurricane/Tropical Storm Georges in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida from September 28 through October 2, 1998. 4. Location of selected provisional tidal surge elevations caused by Hurricane Georges in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, and annual maximum tidal stages for three selected U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tidal gages. 5. Low oblique color aerial photographs taken (a) July 18, 1996, and (b) October 10, 1998, of part of the Chandeleur Islands near latitude 29°29'26" and longitude 89°11'06", depicting beach erosion caused by Hurricane Georges. TABLES 1. Provisional flood information resulting from Hurricane/Tropical Storm Georges for selected streamgaging stations in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. ABSTRACT Hurricane Georges (pronouned "Zhorzh"), battered the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, and the Florida Keys from September 18 through 25, 1998, before slamming into the Gulf Coast areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the panhandle of Florida from September 28 through 30. Hurricane Georges brought torrents of rain and wind that caused many rivers in the region to flow to all-time record levels. Georges' rampage killed more than 460 people in the Caribbean and United Stages and was one of the most destructive and deadly storms to form in the Atlantic Ocean in recent years. LizardTech's Djvu plug-in is needed to view these reports. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ENTIRE REPORT For questions or comments, contact K. Van Wilson.