Coastal Storm Surge Analysis: Storm Surge Results. Report 5: Intermediate Submission No. 3

Abstract

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Region III office, has initiated a study to update the coastal storm surge elevations within the states of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, including the Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay (including its tributaries), and the Delaware Bay. This effort is one of the most extensive coastal storm surge analyses to date, encompassing coastal floodplains in three states and including the largest estuary in the world. The study will replace outdated coastal storm surge stillwater elevations for all Flood Insurance Studies in the study area, and serve as the basis for new coastal hazard analyses and ultimately updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). Study efforts were initiated in August of 2008, and were concluded in 2013. The storm surge study utilized the ADvanced CIRCulation Model for Oceanic, Coastal, and Estuarine Waters (ADCIRC) for simulation of two-dimensional hydraulics. ADCIRC was coupled with two-dimensional wave models to calculate the combined effects of surge and wind-induced waves. A seamless modeling grid was developed to support the storm surge modeling efforts. This report is the fifth and final in a series for the project. It provides a detailed overview of the extratropical and tropical storm statistical analyses, treatment of tidal influences, and final water level recurrence interval results. Furthermore, the similarities and differences between the new results and earlier study findings are explored.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA588991

Entities

People

  • Brian Blanton
  • Jeffrey L. Hanson
  • Mark Gravens
  • Michael F. Forte
  • Peter Vickery

Organizations

  • Engineer Research and Development Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Boundary Layer
  • Chesapeake Bay
  • Civil Engineering
  • Databases
  • Delaware Bay
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Emergencies
  • Emergency Response
  • Floods
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Information Science
  • Maryland
  • Sea Level Rise
  • Simulations
  • Statistical Analysis
  • Storm Surges
  • Two Dimensional

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
  • Coastal and Marine Engineering/Sediment Transport/Hydraulic Engineering