"JACKSONVILLE, Fla. —  Hurricane Irma's devastating storm surge came with weird twists that scientists attribute to the storm's girth, path and some geographic quirks.

A combination of storm surge, heavy rains and swollen rivers sent some of the worst flooding into Jacksonville, Florida, even though Irma roared into the opposite end of the state, had weakened to a tropical storm and its eye stayed at least 80 miles (130 kilometers) away.

Although preliminary data suggest Irma's eye pushed a surge of more than 10 feet (3 meters) onto southwest Florida's Marco Island, the highest water levels were reported hundreds of miles away in Jacksonville and Savannah, Georgia, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration."

Seth Borenstein and Claire Galofaro report for the Associated Press Sep 13, 2017. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Storm Surge Gives Weary Fla. Glimpse Of The Future" (ClimateWire) [3]