4 
PREFACE 
Both the German and Polish Baltic Sea coasts are threatened by storm surges. This 
monograph on storm surges in the western and central parts of the southern Baltic Sea coast 
was prepared on the initiative of the Polish-German Working Group W-1 on hydrology and 
hydrogeology in the German-Polish boundary waters. It is a co-operation project between the 
Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (Instytut Meteorologii i Gospodarki Wodnej - 
Oddziat Morski (IMGW), Gdynia) in Poland and the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic 
Agency of Germany (Bundesamt fur Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH), Rostock - 
Hamburg). 
The first part of the monograph provides a general description of the hydrological and 
meteorological conditions leading to storm surges, including some statistical data. The 
analysis is based on the data of 73 selected storm surge events from the years 1976 - 2000 
and on long-term series, some of which date back as far as 1870. 
The second part of the monograph provides descriptions of the 17 most dangerous storm 
surges of the total of 73 surges selected in the period from 1976 - 2000. The description of 
each surge includes 
a) the development of meteorological conditions, focusing on the atmospheric pressure 
pattern and wind field forcing the surface water, and 
b) the behaviour of the sea level at particular water gauges. 
The monograph was prepared using available publications on the subject as well as archived 
data at IMGW and BSH. 
The study was funded by statutory contributions available to BSH and IMGW, funds from 
scientific projects of the European Union (SELF, ESEAS-RI), NATO (EST.CLG978911), the 
State Committee for Scientific Research, and financial resources of IMGW. 
The descriptions of meteorological conditions during the storm surges of 1976-1994 are 
based on work done by mgr. L. Wôjcik, dr. M. Ziemiahski, mgr. G. tabieniec and mgr. I. 
Lel^tko within the framework of the SELF project (EU FP3).