Coastal storms are one of the most remarkable natural risk affecting coastal areas, and climate change might
enhanced the intensity and frequency of those extreme events. The Gulf of Biscay area show evidences of
historical episodes of storminess which remarkable consequences upon natural environment and human
activities. The use of coastal spaces has increased during the last decades worldwide, and the Northern coast
of the Iberian Peninsula has followed the same trend, increasing the amount of elements at risk.
An outstanding episode of coastal storminess was suffered by the northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula
experienced during the January-February period of 2014. Impacts on the coastal environment were spread.
A comprehensive analysis of oceanographic and meteorological data has been carried out to characterize the
event and to place it in relation with the recent climate evolution of the Gulf of Biscay area.