6 
600 cm. The zero level of tide gauges is PN=NN-500 cm in Schleswig-Holstein and in 
Poland, and PN=HN-514 cm in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. 
In Poland, Majewski et al. (1983) defined a storm surge as a hydrological situation in which 
the sea level reaches or exceeds 570 cm (for comparison: the alarm level at Swinoujscie and 
Kotobrzeg is set at 580 cm, and at Wismar, Warnemünde and Sassnitz at 600 cm). 
On that basis, 73 storm surges from the period 1976-2000 (Table 1.1.) were selected during 
which a level of 590 cm had been either reached or surpassed at Wismar, Warnemünde and 
Sassnitz, and a level of 570 cm at Swinoujscie and Kotobrzeg. The selection of events 
meeting this requirement with respect to the German water gauges was done by H.-J. Stigge 
at BSH Rostock, and with respect to the Polish water gauges by M. Sztobryn, B. Kowalska, 
K. Krzysztofik and A. Kahska. 
Table 1.1. Calendar of storm surges in the western and central parts of the southern Baltic 
Sea coast in 1976-2000 
No. 
Gauge Swinoujscie 
Daily 
reference 
level in cm 
Maximum value of the surge 
in cm 
Beginning of 
surge 
End of surge 
Duration of 
surge 
in hours 
Wismar 
Warnemünde 
Sassnitz 
Swinoujscie 
Kotobrzeg 
1 
03.01.76 
04.01.76 
39 
548 
640 
630 
608 
628 
616 
2 
17.01.76 
17.01.76 
13 
550 
598 
590 
599 
616 
600 
3 
24.12.76 
27.12.76 
61 
490 
611 
593 
590 
605 
602 
4 
03.01.78 
05.01.78 
39 
523 
620 
602 
591 
583 
602 
5 
28.11.78 
01.12.78 
65 
554 
607 
596 
595 
- 
592 
6 
13.02.79 
16.02.79 
85 
510 
663 
629 
585 
570 
532 
7 
11.12.79 
12.12.79 
43 
534 
627 
611 
583 
575 
563 
8 
28.11.80 
30.11.80 
50 
527 
598 
587 
582 
588 
573 
9 
16.12.80 
17.12.80 
14 
557 
581 
577 
574 
570 
584 
10 
05.11.81 
09.11.81 
93 
535 
594 
588 
586 
600 
594 
11 
30.11.81 
02.12.81 
57 
552 
600 
588 
581 
591 
581 
12 
06.01.82 
08.01.82 
48 
514 
616 
598 
590 
585 
574 
13 
19.01.83 
20.01.83 
34 
577 
634 
617 
624 
623 
640 
14 
21.01.83 
22.01.83 
22 
553 
567 
564 
577 
573 
585 
15 
31.01.83 
31.01.83 
19 
556 
572 
567 
587 
580 
586 
16 
02.02.83 
05.02.83 
24 
568 
613 
608 
619 
599 
627 
17 
06.02.83 
09.02.83 
81 
553 
651 
632 
605 
583 
579 
18 
25.09.83 
25.09.83 
17 
559 
600 
592 
601 
591 
600 
19 
27.11.83 
29.11.83 
39 
552 
646 
634 
619 
611 
612 
20 
29.11.83 
01.12.83 
44 
561 
606 
592 
578 
582 
565 
21 
09.12.83 
11.12.83 
34 
530 
613 
594 
590 
601 
596 
22 
09.01.84 
09.01.84 
22 
561 
615 
602 
602 
596 
595 
23 
20.01.86 
20.01.86 
11 
537 
564 
556 
561 
590 
588 
24 
20.10.86 
21.10.86 
20 
509 
619 
606 
555 
590 
599 
25 
19.12.86 
21.12.86 
46 
520 
641 
627 
609 
613 
612 
26 
22.12.86 
23.12.86 
47 
545 
603 
592 
577 
580 
577 
27 
08.01.87 
10.01.87 
34 
509 
611 
600 
605 
612 
609 
28 
11.01.87 
13.01.87 
82 
519 
673 
642 
614 
599 
552 
29 
02.11.88 
04.11.88 
48 
496 
630 
616 
610 
582 
590 
30 
29.11.88 
01.12.88 
38 
522 
647 
628 
620 
621 
642 
31 
14.12.88 
15.12.88 
39 
536 
611 
600 
583 
597 
600 
32 
19.12.88 
20.12.88 
23 
534 
620 
607 
594 
604 
604 
33 
24.12.88 
25.12.88 
21 
554 
585 
576 
572 
593 
597 
34 
31.12.88 
01.01.89 
21 
509 
597 
580 
581 
585 
587 
35 
02.10.89 
04.10.89 
44 
519 
610 
601 
576 
600 
592