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How did the 1919 storm change Padre Island and nearby Texas lagoons?
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lagoon
Lagoons lie behind the coral reef and barrier islands surrounding Raiatea and Tahaa in the Society Islands, Pacific Ocean.
The 1919 storm significantly altered the geography of Padre Island and its adjacent Texas lagoons. During the event, the southern end of Padre Island was lowered to a level below the mean low tide, fundamentally changing the island's elevation.1
The storm also generated severe wave action that excavated several washover channelsāinlets of water cut through the barrier island. Furthermore, the mainland shore of the nearby lagoons experienced significant erosion due to the storm's impact. These changes illustrate how hurricanes and other catastrophic events can rapidly reconfigure coastal environments by breaching or overtopping the barriers that protect lagoons.1