As another response to LunkerHunter. There is a BIG difference in the overall geography for Jamaica to New Orleans that explains some of the lower storm surge. In the northern gulf the water pushed ahead of a hurricane runs into the gulf coast as a wall of land and the water HAS to go inland until the back pressure can overcome the storm's winds and pressure and allow it back out again. This can pile up the water a LOT and result in those huge storm surges. For Jamaica, a major part of that dome of water has the ability to go AROUND the island as the path of least resistance and therefore you won't have a comparable storm surge to what a storm landfalling along an extended coastline would produce. Hope that helps....it is not the ONLY factor, but added to what Guppie said it is another part of the equation.