Hurricanes impact the geology, ecosystems, and people when they occur. 25 Aug 1998 Geological Impacts Geology is impacted because the high water of a storm surge causes erosion and overwash in low-lying coastal areas. View a USGS overwash map made after Hurricane Fran hit the barrier island near Bougue Inlet in 1996. Ecologically, we say that the hurricane causes a disturbance to the ecosystem. Disturbances such as those caused by hurricanes can have long-term effects on ecosystem functions and can change the distribution and abundance of species.
Storms are a form of natural disturbance.
Hurricane Hugo of September 1989 caused severe damage to the rain forest in the north-east corner of Puerto Rico . Thus, after the storm, the rain forest had fewer trees and those left standing were of a different species. The composition of the rain forest community was thus changed by this severe disturbance. Regular coastal storms, including hurricanes, occur along the Virginia coast. The impact of coastal storm disturbance is being studied at the Virginia Coast Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research Site .