[palmer]

Makes sense since Ike's winds were so huge. What could change that is a more inward wind field (because of a stronger central low pressure like the 1900 hurricane). A stronger storm coming off of Cuba would have pushed more water in front of it (Ike was a 1, the 1900 was probably more).

There are other subtle factors that could have made a difference like the dry air that entered from the SW in the early evening. But I think the main factors predominated, and of course the seawall.

[AFPhys]

It is not brilliant for me to predict that more than one doctoral thesis will be written that examines Ike in detail.