TWAVE: A Modeling System for Flooding and Inundation of Islands by Tropical Storms
Abstract
This report, the first of a series, describes the coastal modeling package TWAVE (Typhoon and WAVE) developed under the Surge and Wave Island Modeling Studies (SWIMS) project capable of modeling tropical cyclone winds, waves, storm surge, and coastal inundation. The TWAVE flood and inundation package is a practice-oriented engineering modeling tool. The first version of TWAVE is described in this report and will be updated based on user feedback in subsequent reports and as new modeling capabilities become available. The objective of this research is to develop a system with multiple levels of complexity that is suitable for applications such as hindcast, forecast, and hypothetical storms. TWAVE is a personal computer based modeling system and uses Microsoft Excel to organize and visualize input and output data. The package includes three wind models coupled to a deepwater spectral wave model and a parametric wave model with several options for calculating reef top wave heights, wave setup, and runup. These calculations range from simple empirical formulations to a fully nonlinear Boussinesq wave model. TWAVE modeling system is currently configured for the U.S. Territory of Guam and the island of Kauai, HI, but can easily be configured for other locations. A full description of the TWAVE package of programs and input, and output are described in this report to assist users who interested in adopting the system to their specific needs. TWAVE is a modular system, and this makes it possible to add new components and replace existing modules as necessary. TWAVE modeling package is validated using measured offshore winds and waves, and coastal inundation records for Hurricane Iniki at Poipu beach on the island of Kauai, HI. Modeling estimates generally compare reasonably well with measurements. The calculated offshore winds, waves, and coastal inundation estimates compare favorably to data.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA494315
Entities
People
- Alejandro Sánchez
- Jane Mc Kee Smith
- Zeki Demirbilek
Organizations
- Engineer Research and Development Center