Hurricane Frequency Research Articles

Localized Impacts of Hurricane Irma on Diadema antillarum and Coral Reef Community Structure

Strong physical disturbance from hurricanes can disrupt coral reef ecosystems and precipitate a regime shift toward algal dominance, particularly in the absence of grazing pressure to regulate algal growth post-storm. Here, we examine the influence of Hurricane Irma on a keystone grazer, Diadema antillarum, and the surrounding coral reef benthic community in the Florida Keys. D. antillarum densities and test diameters, as well as percent cover of coral reef benthic groups, were measured at 10 sites in the middle and upper Keys before and after Irma. Significant decreases in mean D. antillarum density and median test diameter were observed following the storm. There was a correlation between the magnitude of decline in D. antillarum density and the magnitude of sediment deposition on reefs, suggesting that abrasion or burial from sediment transport may have contributed to D. antillarum mortality. We detected significant decreases in the percent cover of sponges and hydrocorals following the storm, but no change in scleractinian coral cover, which was very low (3% mean cover) at the onset of the study. Macroalgal cover increased at sites in the upper Keys and decreased at sites in the middle Keys. There was no relationship between post-storm D. antillarum density and the change in percent cover of macroalgae or turf-algal-sediment matrix (TAS), likely due to low overall abundance of the grazer. We predict that coral reefs will remain in an algal-dominated ecosystem state due to, among other factors, increasing frequency of strong hurricanes that impact the D. antillarum population.

Response of Coffee Farms to Hurricane Maria: Resistance and Resilience from an Extreme Climatic Event

Resistance and resilience have become important concepts in the evaluation of disturbance events, providing a framework that is useful in light of the expected increase in frequency and occurrences of hurricanes as a consequence of climate change. Hurricane Maria landed on Puerto Rico as a category 4 storm in September of 2017. Among the affected elements were agricultural systems, including coffee agroecosystems. Historically, coffee has been a major backbone of the island’s agricultural sector. Grown with a range of management styles, the coffee agroecosystem provides an excellent model system to study the resistance/resilience of agroecosystems faced with hurricane disturbance. Sampling 28 farms and comparing pre-hurricane data (2013) with post hurricane data we find that management style had only a small effect on either resistance or resilience, likely due to the especially strong nature of the storm. Rather, the socio-political context of individual farms seems to be a more useful predictor of resilience.

Post-hurricane relief facilitates invasion and establishment of two invasive alien vertebrate species in the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies

Invasive alien species (IAS) are a main driver of current global change and contribute significantly to decreases in biodiversity worldwide. To prevent new introductions and establishment of IAS, it is important to identify mechanisms of incursion. On 18 September 2017, Hurricane Maria, a category-5 Atlantic storm, made landfall on the Commonwealth of Dominica causing widespread destruction. Responding to the post-hurricane situation, countries and organizations provided a large range of aid including funds, medical and security support, and relief supplies. Here we report the incursion and establishment of two vertebrate IAS on Dominica during the aftermath of Hurricane Maria—the Common Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) and Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis)—representing a 20% increase in vertebrate alien species on Dominica. We also report observations of Venezuela Snouted Treefrogs (Scinax x-signatus). Collectively, these species were found at four sites spread along the Caribbean and south coast of Dominica, within or near ports of entry. Invasions of I. iguana and O. septentrionalis are especially worrisome given their known impacts on native species on other Caribbean islands. Though understandable given the human impact caused by severe weather events, these incursions suggest that biosecurity is not implemented by aid-facilitating countries and organizations. With the predicted increase in hurricane intensity and frequency, we suggest basic biosecurity and training programs to reduce incursion threats of IAS during future relief and recovery initiatives. For Dominica, we recommend mitigation programs with additional biological surveys to control and better understand the number of incursion and their impact on post-Maria Dominica.

Disturbance after Disturbance: Combined Effects of Two Successive Hurricanes on Forest Community Structure

Our attempts to gain knowledge from studying the effects of a single windstorm might be complicated by one or more other events that pass through the same system before it recovers from prior damage. In this article, we had the opportunity to examine permanent plots affected by two consecutive catastrophic storms of comparable intensity within a short time frame (less than a decade). We compared tree damage patterns resulting from Hurricane Rita in 2005 and Hurricane Ike in 2008, which struck the same five forest plots (40 m × 50 m each; 1 ha total) established in the Big Thicket National Preserve of southeast Texas. The results showed that the post-Rita forest structure was characterized by intense damage to short, shade-tolerant stems and increased canopy openness. Hence, trees damaged by Ike were, in general, taller, more shade intolerant, and more spatially distant from their undamaged counterparts than trees damaged by Rita. These contrasting damage patterns indicate that Ike affected the plots differently to a normal windstorm occurring in isolation (after a long absence of prior windstorms). We anticipate that the cumulative, compounded effects of these two storms will potentially have long-lasting footprints on the structure and function of the study forest. The need to account for compounding disturbance interactions in forest research and management will grow, because many atmospheric scientists predict increases in both the intensity and frequency of hurricanes in conjunction with future climate change scenarios. Key Words: Big Thicket, disturbance interaction, forest structure, hurricane, spatial point pattern analysis.

Shifting baselines in coastal forests: Rising seas transform plant communities from the ‘ground’ up

Increases in the rate of sea level rise are likely to result in changes to disturbance-adapted coastal forests and associated freshwater resources over the next several decades. In this study, we investigated how the press disturbance of two decades of sea level rise altered island hydrology and interacted with pulse disturbances (frequent hurricane impacts) to alter coastal forest composition and structure. The research was conducted on two low-elevation islands located within the lower Florida Keys: Big Pine and Upper Sugarloaf Keys. Groundwater salinity and vegetation structure and composition were sampled in the early 1990s prior to impact from two hurricanes – Hurricanes Georges (1998) and Wilma (2005) – and again in 2012/2013 in permanent plots inside and outside the boundaries of the islands’ freshwater lenses. Using linear mixed effects modeling, we examined whether groundwater salinity varied over time among locations, and investigated whether this variation was reflected in changes in forest structure and composition in three height strata. The results of this analysis revealed that groundwater salinity underlying plots outside the freshwater lens increased over the two decades, while salinity of groundwater at plots inside the freshwater lens remained stable. The greatest shift in composition occurred in the understory strata along a gradient of increasing salinity, and plots located outside the freshwater lens gained species typical of tidally-influenced buttonwood forest and lost glycophytic species. Viewed against the background of recurring hurricane impacts, these findings suggest that sea level rise is currently altering both groundwater resources and the composition of coastal forests in the Florida Keys. Similar dynamics should be observed in low-lying coastal forests within ocean basins subject to increased tropical cyclone activity. Management of these island coastal forests must now consider the continually shifting nature of the resource in light of acceleration in sea level rise.

Hurricanes Enhance Labile Carbon Export to the Deep Ocean

AbstractTropical cyclones (hurricanes) generate intense surface ocean cooling and vertical mixing resulting in nutrient upwelling into the photic zone and episodic phytoplankton blooms. However, their influence on the deep ocean remains unknown. Here we present evidence that hurricanes also impact the ocean's biological pump by enhancing export of labile organic material to the deep ocean. In October 2016, Category 3 Hurricane Nicole passed over the Bermuda Time Series site in the oligotrophic NW Atlantic Ocean. Following Nicole's passage, particulate fluxes of lipids diagnostic of fresh phytodetritus, zooplankton, and microbial biomass increased by 30–300% at 1,500 m depth and 30–800% at 3,200 m depth. Mesopelagic suspended particles following Nicole were also enriched in phytodetrital material and in zooplankton and bacteria lipids, indicating particle disaggregation and a deepwater ecosystem response. Predicted climate‐induced increases in hurricane frequency and/or intensity may significantly alter ocean biogeochemical cycles by increasing the strength of the biological pump.

Extracellular Electron Transfer Mechanisms in a Moderately Halophilic Bacterium from the Great Salt Lake for High Salinity Heavy Metal Biosensing

High saline contamination events are a growing problem due to the increase in frequency and severity of hurricanes and the accompanying torrential rains.1 Storms affecting coastal areas can flood Superfund sites, which are designated hazardous waste sites managed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other dangerous industrial waste sites. These events can result in the release of harmful pollutants into the environment, including heavy metals.2 The dimension of the contaminated area, as well as the cost and labor intensive approaches utilized, make the monitoring through standard laboratory methods complicated.3 Accordingly, a comprehensive screening of a community after a contamination event is not feasible. In this contest, biosensors offer a cost-effective alternative. Microbial biosensors are of particular interest for environmental monitoring due to their stability, wide range of analytes, and the ability to report on physiological toxicity.4 However, high salinities pose stress on the cellular membrane of bacteria cells, and few microbes can survive in salinities higher than the ocean (~3.5% NaCl). Such salinities can frequently occur after a natural disaster, due to stagnant water and subsequent evaporative water loss, demonstrating a need for a halophilic microorganism that can report on toxic contaminants. A bacterium that has these characteristics was previously isolated for electroactivity and further evaluated for use in the microbial analysis of toxic pollutants applicable for a widescale screening process in high saline contamination events.5 The bacterium, Salinivibrio EAGSL, was found to tolerate from 0.1 M to 3 M NaCl and showed anode-respiring capability. The bacterium was isolated as a new strain based on 16s rRNA gene sequencing.6 Therefore bioinformatics was employed for sequencing and assembling the genome to discover traits for NaCl, heavy metal, and general environmental stress factors. Interestingly, bioinformatics analysis contributed to unveiling the mechanism of extracellular electron transfer in this bacterium. The strategies for arsenic analysis included a high throughput 96-well plate cytotoxicity assay and an electrochemical assay for steps towards an online hazardous contaminant detection system. The 96-well plate assay provided a screening method for ~50 samples at once, taking around 6 hours to detect concentrations of 75 μM arsenic. To overcome the need for sampling and analysis, an electrochemical method was also developed for continuous monitoring of toxic contaminants in high saline. The net result is a microbial cytotoxicity assay to evaluate the toxicity of contaminants in a high saline environment. Additionally, this study elucidated the endogenous electron mediation mechanism in this bacterium through bioinformatics and electrochemical characterization, in addition to performance with an exogenous monomeric mediation system for increased current output.

Skillful Prediction of Monthly Major Hurricane Activity in the North Atlantic with Two‐way Nesting

AbstractWe investigate the monthly prediction of North Atlantic hurricane and especially major hurricane activity based on the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory High‐Resolution Atmospheric Model (HiRAM). We compare the performance of two grid configurations: a globally uniform 25‐km grid and the other with an 8‐km interactive nest over the tropical North Atlantic. Both grid configurations show skills in predicting anomalous monthly hurricane frequency and accumulated cyclone energy. Particularly, the 8‐km nested model shows improved skills in predicting major hurricane frequency and accumulated cyclone energy. The skill in anomalous monthly hurricane occurrence prediction arises from the accurate prediction of zonal wind shear anomalies in the Main Development Region, which in turn arises from the sea surface temperature anomalies persisted from the initialization time. The enhanced resolution on the nested grid permits a better representation of hurricanes and especially intense hurricanes, thereby showing the ability and the potential for prediction of major hurricanes on subseasonal timescales.

Mangrove Disturbance and Response Following the 2017 Hurricane Season in Puerto Rico

Mangrove ecosystem responses to tropical cyclones have been well-documented over the last half century. Variability in tree mortality, aboveground biomass accumulation, canopy closure, and subsequent recovery has been explained by species, size, and geomorphology. This study gauges the initial response and short-term recovery of Puerto Rico’s mangroves following the 2017 hurricane season. Survival probability of tagged trees decreased with time, and the mean mortality across all sites was 22% after eleven months. Mean canopy closure loss was 51% one month after the hurricanes, and closure recovery rates decreased with time following the storms. Aboveground biomass accumulation decreased by 3.5 kg yr−1 per tree, corresponding to a reduction of 8.6 Mg ha−1 yr−1 at the stand level. Eleven months later, the mangroves recovered to 72% canopy closure and to nearly 60% of their pre-storm growth rates. Species, size, and geomorphology were found to play a role, while an influence of surrounding land cover and urbanization could not be detected. Larger trees suffered 25% more mortality than smaller size classes, and Laguncularia racemosa suffered 11% less mortality than other species. Forests in tidally restricted canals experienced more canopy loss but faster recovery than open embayment systems. Canopy closure for some forests is not forecasted to return to pre-storm levels in the next 20 years, which when combined with changes in hurricane frequencies may or may not be sooner than the next extreme hurricane disturbance. These findings suggest that size, species, and geomorphology are important in mangrove resilience to tropical storms and that urbanization does not play a role. Managing mangrove ecosystems for optimal shoreline protection will depend upon knowing which forests are at greatest risk in a future of changing tropical cyclone strength and frequency.

Impact of Anthropogenic Climate Change on United States Major Hurricane Landfall Frequency

Although anthropogenic climate change has contributed to warmer ocean temperatures that are seemingly more favorable for Atlantic hurricane development, no major hurricanes made landfall in the United States between 2006 and 2016. The U.S., therefore, experienced a major hurricane landfall drought during those years. Using the high-resolution Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory 25 km grid High-Resolution Forecast-Oriented Low Ocean Resolution (HiFLOR) global climate model, the present study shows that increases in anthropogenic forcing, due to increases in greenhouse gasses, are associated with fewer long-duration major hurricane landfall droughts in the U.S., which implies an increase in major hurricane landfall frequency. We create six different fixed-distance ‘buffers’ that artificially circle the United States coastline in 100 km radial increments and can compensate for the bias in hurricane landfall calculations with six-hourly datasets. Major hurricane landfall frequencies are computed by applying the buffer zones to the six-hourly observed and simulated storm track datasets, which are then compared with the observed recorded major hurricane frequencies. We found that the major hurricane landfall frequencies generated with the 200 km buffer using the six-hourly observed best-track dataset are most correlated with the observed recorded major hurricane landfall frequencies. Using HiFLOR with an implemented buffer system, we found less frequent projections of long-duration major hurricane landfall drought events in controlled scenarios with greater anthropogenic global warming, which is independent on the radius of the coastal buffer. These results indicate an increase in U.S. major hurricane landfall frequencies with an increase in anthropogenic warming, which could pose a substantial threat to coastal communities in the U.S.

Variability and Predictability of North Atlantic Hurricane Frequency in a Large Ensemble of High-Resolution Atmospheric Simulations

AbstractVariability of North Atlantic annual hurricane frequency during 1951–2010 is studied using a 100-member ensemble of climate simulations by a 60-km atmospheric general circulation model that is forced by observed sea surface temperatures (SSTs). The ensemble mean results well capture the interannual-to-decadal variability of hurricane frequency in best track data since 1970, and suggest that the current best track data might underestimate hurricane frequency prior to 1966 when satellite measurements were unavailable. A genesis potential index (GPI) averaged over the main development region (MDR) accounts for more than 80% of the SST-forced variations in hurricane frequency, with potential intensity and vertical wind shear being the dominant factors. In line with previous studies, the difference between MDR SST and tropical mean SST is a useful predictor; a 1°C increase in this SST difference produces 7.05 ± 1.39 more hurricanes. The hurricane frequency also exhibits strong internal variability that is systematically larger in the model than observations. The seasonal-mean environment is highly correlated among ensemble members and contributes to less than 10% of the ensemble spread in hurricane frequency. The strong internal variability is suggested to originate from weather to intraseasonal variability and nonlinearity. In practice, a 20-member ensemble is sufficient to capture the SST-forced variability.

How climate affects extreme events and hence ecological population models.

Extreme events significantly impact ecosystems and are predicted to increase in frequency and/or magnitude with climate change. Generalized extreme value (GEV) distributions describe most ecologically relevant extreme events, including hurricanes, wildfires, and disease spread. In climate science, the GEV is widely used as an accurate and flexible tool over large spatial scales (>105 km2 ) to study how changes in climate shift extreme events. However, ecologists rarely use the GEV to study how climate change affects populations. Here we show how to estimate a GEV for hurricanes at an ecologically relevant (<103 km2 ) spatial scale, and use the results in a stochastic, empirically based, matrix population model. As a case study, we use an understory shrub in southeast Florida, USA with hurricane-driven dynamics and measure the effects of change using the stochastic population growth rate. We use sensitivities to analyze how population growth rate is affected by changes in hurricane frequency and intensity, canopy damage levels, and canopy recovery rates. Our results emphasize the importance of accurately estimating location-specific storm frequency. In a rapidly changing world, our methods show how to combine realistic extreme event and population models to assess ecological impacts and to prioritize conservation actions for at-risk populations.

Long-term demography and stem productivity of Everglades mangrove forests (Florida, USA): Resistance to hurricane disturbance

Mangrove wetlands along coastal regions in neotropical northern latitudes are exposed to frequent hurricanes and therefore depend on resistant and resilient attributes to persist after these extreme events. However, few long-term studies have documented mangrove forest dynamics following hurricane disturbance to determine how species-specific phenotypic plasticity, species range shifts, and environmental stress interact to determine recovery trajectories. We present here a comprehensive analysis of Hurricane Wilma’s (hereafter, “Wilma”) impact (category 3, October 2005) on mangrove forest demography and aboveground net productivity in the Everglades, Florida (USA). We determined spatiotemporal patterns over a 15-year period (5 pre- and 10 post-Wilma) in three impacted sites on a productivity gradient along the Shark River Estuary. Hurricane resistance was evident in the low cumulative tree mortality and long-term recovery from defoliation (∼10 years). Aboveground standing carbon stocks were not significantly reduced, as mortality ranged only from 3 to 10%. A negative linear relationship between Leaf Net Primary Productivity (NPPL) and foliar residence time along the estuary shows that an increase in foliar production results in shorter residence time, which is defined by the interannual variation in NPPL rates and recovery periods across sites. We propose this relationship as a proxy of canopy recovery in latitudinal comparative studies across mangrove ecotypes and coastal settings. This work advances ecological disturbance theory and ecological modeling of mangrove forests; specifically, we provide quantitative relationships among structural properties and dynamic processes to validate agent-based demographic and biogeochemical models to forecast the impact of natural and human disturbances on mangrove wetlands under climate change.

Evaluating the Hydrodynamic Response of Coastal Bridges during an Extreme Weather Event

The frequency and intensity of recent hurricanes have demonstrated the need of taking proactive actions to prevent major damages during an extreme weather event. This work presents the results of a numerical study evaluating the hydrodynamic response of coastal bridges during an extreme hurricane event. A finite element model of a concrete bridge girder superstructure with a pier-substructure was developed in the commercial software Abaqus. The Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian technique was used to model the interaction between water waves and the bridge as the structure deformed due to wave impacts. The wave velocity and the angle of wave impact were varied in the simulation to determine their effects on the response of the bridge. It was found that the resultant shear and uplift forces increase with wave velocity, while the angle of impact only had a significant effect on the resultant shear forces. The developed numerical framework will support further studies that will investigate variations in the bridge design and construction practices in order to enhance the resilience of coastal bridges against extreme weather events.

Variability and predictability of North Atlantic hurricane frequency in a large ensemble of high-resolution atmospheric simulations

Variability and predictability of North Atlantic hurricane frequency in a large ensemble of high-resolution atmospheric simulations

Determining the Sources of Macroalgae During Beach Stranding Events from Species Composition, Stable Isotope Analysis, and Laboratory Experiments

Large accumulations of stranded macroalgae on the beaches of Sanibel Island from 2004 to 2007 were unusual and thought to be driven by high rainfall and river flows stemming from a high frequency of hurricanes. The southwest Florida shelf was thought to be isolated from far-field effects such as high river flows and urbanization but field- and laboratory-based studies suggest that nitrogen enrichment, fragmentation, and species composition of macroalgal communities on the shelf and in the estuary contribute to beach stranding events. Macroalgae were sampled using a belt transect method to determine species distribution and abundance. Macroalgae were abundant (1) in the lower estuary with abundant seagrass and (2) on limestone outcroppings in the Gulf of Mexico. An MDS analysis of the quadrat samples indicated two distinct macroalgal community types, a “Sound” assemblage around Pine Island Sound and a “Gulf” assemblage, associated with a live bottom and patch reef in the Gulf of Mexico. Peak abundances for the two community types differed with the Gulf having peak abundances from July to November, while peak abundances in the Sound occurred from January to July. Sound macroalgal tissue had significantly enriched δ15N compared to Gulf tissue when all species were combined and in five of six species collected at both locations suggesting that stable isotope analysis could be useful in combination with species composition in determining the source of macroalgae during stranding events. In addition, a laboratory study was conducted on four species that were sampled and frequently collected as a result of stranding events. Laboratory growth experiments demonstrated the potential for three of four common species (Solieria filiformis, Gracilaria tikvahiae, Agardhiella subulata) to fragment and grow significantly more under elevated nitrate conditions.

Aging in Flood-Prone Coastal Areas: Discerning the Health and Well-Being Risk for Older Residents.

Coastal communities are increasingly exposed to more intense and frequent hurricanes, accelerated sea-level rise, and prolonged tidal inundation, yet they are often a preferred retirement destination for older adults vulnerable to flooding and extreme weather events. The unique physical and psychosocial challenges of older population age 65 and over may affect their level of preparedness, capacity to cope with, and ability to respond and recover from a hazard event. Despite the clear vulnerabilities of older residents living in high-risk areas when compared to younger coastal populations, there is a lack of empirical research on the integrated flood risks to this population group in the coastal context. This paper provides a holistic assessment of this emerging problem along the U.S. East Coast by measuring the exposure of older population to sea level rise and storm surge in coastal counties. It further evaluates how age-related vulnerabilities differ between rural and urban settings using the case study approach and geospatial and statistical analysis the paper also conducts a review of scientific literature to identify gaps in the current understanding of health and well-being risks to aging populations in coastal communities. The results show that older populations are unevenly distributed along the U.S. East Coast with some states and counties having significantly higher percent of residents age 65 and older living along the shoreline. Many places with larger older populations have other attributes that further shape the vulnerability of this age group such as older housing stock, disabilities, and lower income and that often differ between rural and urban settings. Lastly, our study found that vast majority of research on aging in high-risk coastal locations has been conducted in relation to major disasters and almost none on the recurrent nuisance flooding that is already affecting many coastal communities.

On a Temporal Investigation of Hurricane Strength and Frequency

Hurricanes originating in the West Atlantic often have devastating consequences on the cities in the US east coast, both monetary and otherwise, and hence pose a source of considerable concern to several authorities. The possibility of a connection between global warming in general and an increased frequency of these strong hurricanes is well researched, but is still actively debated. The present work tries to promote the use of a smoothing statistic termed empirical recurrence rates and to advocate the use of another, termed empirical recurrence rates ratio in a bid to better understand the rich history of these storms on one hand and to make appropriate inferences on the other, so that some light can be shed on the acceptability of conjectures held by renowned climate scientists. The methods introduced are intuitive and simple to implement and should find wide applications in diverse disciplines.

Engaging Middle School Students in Authentic Scientific Practices Can Enhance Their Understanding of Ecosystem Response to Hurricane Disturbance

Ecosystem response to hurricane disturbance is complex and multi-faceted. The likelihood of increased frequency of severe hurricanes creates a need for the general public to understand how ecosystems respond to hurricanes. Yet, opportunities to study disturbances to complex systems are rare in U.S. K–12 schools. Educators and researchers in the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research program used the results of research on ecosystem response to hurricane disturbance in the Luquillo Experimental Forest as a foundation for the development of Journey to El Yunque, a web-based, middle-school curriculum unit. The program engages students in using models as evidence to develop explanations for how particular species respond to hurricane disturbance. Prior research in education has shown that engaging students in a particular role, like that of a scientist, could have detrimental effects on students’ abilities to transfer what is learned from one context to another. In this research, we sought to understand whether having students engage in authentic scientific practices could support transfer of knowledge to the abstract context of a standards-based assessment. Students were randomly assigned to engage in the program in the role of a scientist or in the role of a student learning about an ecosystem. The dependent variables included students’ comprehension of the background readings, their predictions of population changes, and their overall learning of ecology. The results indicate that taking on a scientist role during the learning activities had an indirect effect on general ecology knowledge by increasing the quality of students’ notetaking during background reading. The results also indicate that students struggled to use their knowledge to develop a robust explanation for how species respond to hurricane disturbance. Journey to El Yunque provides a framework for engaging students in authentic investigations of hurricane disturbance. Future research will examine how to improve the quality of students’ final explanations.

Hurricanes as a Major Driver of Coastal Erosion in the Mississippi River Delta: A Multi-Decadal Analysis of Shoreline Retreat Rates at Bay Champagne, Louisiana (USA)

The Louisiana shoreline is rapidly retreating as a result of factors such as sea-level rise and land subsidence. The northern Gulf of Mexico coast is also a hotspot for hurricane landfalls, and several major storms have impacted this region in the past few decades. A section of the Louisiana (USA) coast that has one of the highest rates of shoreline retreat in North America is the Caminada-Moreau headland, located south of New Orleans. Bay Champagne is a coastal lake within the headland that provides a unique opportunity to investigate shoreline retreat and the coastal effects of hurricanes. In order to examine the influence of hurricanes on the rate of shoreline retreat, 35 years (1983–2018) of Landsat imagery was analyzed. During that period of time, the shoreline has retreated 292 m. The overall rate of shoreline retreat, prior to a beach re-nourishment project completed in 2014, was over 12 m per year. A period of high hurricane frequency (1998–2013) corresponds to an increased average shoreline retreat rate of &gt;21 m per year. Coastal features created by multiple hurricanes that have impacted this site have persisted for several years. Bay Champagne has lost 48% of its surface area over the last 35 years as a result of long-term shoreline retreat. If shoreline retreat continues at the average rate, it is expected that Bay Champagne will disappear completely within the next 40 years.