Preventing flood hazards, such as hurricane-induced tidal surge, from becoming human disasters requires an understanding of the relative risks floods pose to specific communities and knowledge of the processes by which flood waters rise, converge, and abate. Historically, hurricane-induced tidal surge has been documented through measurement of high-water marks left on structures or vegetation. These remnant signals are not always reliable or accurate, however, and do not provide quantitative information about the timing of flooding, the sequencing of multiple paths by which storm-surge waters arrive, or the magnitude of waves.
To gain better knowledge about the effects of hurricanes, the U.S. Geological Survey Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center (USGS-CFWSC), in cooperation with municipal, State, and Federal agencies, uses two monitoring approaches to measure the timing, magnitude, and duration of hurricane tidal surge. The first approach uses the existing fixed network of gages that provide "real-time" data on water levels, and the second uses tidal-surge sensors that are temporarily-deployed in advance of hurricanes.
Real-Time Monitoring Network
The USGS maintains a network of real-time gaging stations along the Florida and Puerto Rico coasts. These stations record data at 15-minute intervals that are available on the web at water.usgs.gov, and include measurements of water level, velocity, specific conductance, salinity, temperature, nitrogen, turbidity, pH, chlorophyll, blue green algae, and dissolved oxygen. The real-time network monitors a large range of hydrologic conditions, from droughts to floods, and provides the data on the web for a broad base of stakeholders. In the event of a hurricane, the real-time network allows individuals to monitor the storm-surge data in near real time (maximum 1-hour delay). Depending on the elevation of the gage-house structure, real-time gages may be at risk of being inundated by flood waters during extreme storm surges.
Temporary Deployment of Hurricane Storm Surge Sensors
To augment the real-time gaging network, a temporary network of hurricane storm-surge sensors can be deployed prior to a hurricane that record data at 30-second intervals. As part of this monitoring approach, water-level and barometric-pressure sensors are deployed to areas of projected hurricane landfall. The addition of these sensors creates a concentrated network of storm-surge monitors that provide more spatially-dense information on hurricane tidal surge. For example, temporary deployment of sensors in the projected hurricane path can be placed to monitor the escalation and attenuation of the hurricane storm surge along coastal rivers and across barrier islands, low-lying areas, and wetlands. After the passing of a storm the locations of the temporarily-deployed sensors must be surveyed to a known elevation. The USGS has successfully deployed temporary tidal surge-networks for Hurricanes Rita (2005), Wilma (2005), Gustav (2008), Ike (2008), Irene (2011), Hermine (2016), Matthew (2016), Irma, 2017, Maria (2017), and Michael (2018) Tropical Storm Ernesto (2006), and Isaac (2018).
USGS Response to Hurricanes
CFWSC had been responding to the rains and flooding being forecast by ensuring that USGS real-time gages are operational and providing critical information on river stage and rainfall to the public, National Weather Service, and emergency management officials. In addition, USGS will deploy staff to make streamflow measurements at streamgages across the state to verify and update the river stage and streamflow discharge ratings. These ratings are critical for determining the volume of water that passes a streamgaging station at any given river stage and are used in issuing flood warnings, mapping floodplains, monitoring water-quality and environmental conditions, and managing water resources.
Summary
The use of existing fixed network stations along with temporarily-deployed water-level and barometric pressure sensors provides a cost-effective hurricane storm-surge monitoring network for Florida and Puerto Rico. The combined networks effectively leverage resources of many cooperative funding agencies in Florida and Puerto Rico to monitor hurricane storm surge. The data are a valuable resource for emergency preparedness agencies to better protect public safety, for engineers to improve structural design of coastal infrastructures, and for oceanographers to evaluate and improve hurricane storm-surge computer models.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Monitoring storm tide, flooding, and precipitation from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, September 2017
Hurricane Maria made landfall south of Yabucoa Harbor, Puerto Rico, as a category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 155 miles per hour on September 20, 2017. The hurricane devastated much of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Federal Emergency Management Agency, installed a temporary monitoring network of 13 water-level and bar
Monitoring storm tide, flooding, and precipitation from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, September 2017
Hurricane Maria made landfall south of Yabucoa Harbor, Puerto Rico, as a category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 155 miles per hour on September 20, 2017. The hurricane devastated much of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Federal Emergency Management Agency, installed a temporary monitoring network of 13 water-level and bar
Monitoring storm tide from Hurricane Michael along the northwest coast of Florida, October 2018
2018 hurricane and wildfire supplemental funding: USGS recovery activities
The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-123), was signed by the President on February 9, 2018. This funding provided $42.2 million to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for equipment repair and replacement, high-resolution elevation data collection in both hurricane- and wildfire-impacted areas, and scientific studies and assessments that will
Monitoring storm tide and flooding from Hurricane Matthew along the Atlantic coast of the United States, October 2016
Meeting the Science Needs of the Nation in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy-- A U.S. Geological Survey Science Plan for Support of Restoration and Recovery
Floods in Florida due to Tropical Storm Fay, August 15 through September 26, 2008
Monitoring the storm tide of Hurricane Wilma in southwestern Florida, October 2005
Floods in southwest-central Florida from hurricane Frances, September 2004
Hurricane Georges: Headwater flooding, storm surge, beach erosion, and habitat destruction on the Central Gulf Coast
Hurricane Hortense: impact on surface water in Puerto Rico
Late Monday night, September 9, and into the early morning hours of Tuesday, September 10, 1996, Hurricane Hortense passed over the southwestern part of Puerto Rico (inset). Hurricane Hortense made landfall as a Category One Hurricane (74 to 95 miles per hour) on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, with maximum sustained winds of nearly 80 miles per hour. The eye of Hurricane Hortense moved over the towns o
Storm-tide elevations caused by Hurricane Hugo on the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, September 18, 1989
No abstract available.
Coastal zone hazards map of Puerto Rico: Hurricane Hugo impacted portion of the shoreline, Cibuco (Punta Garaza) to Punta Viento
- Overview
Preventing flood hazards, such as hurricane-induced tidal surge, from becoming human disasters requires an understanding of the relative risks floods pose to specific communities and knowledge of the processes by which flood waters rise, converge, and abate. Historically, hurricane-induced tidal surge has been documented through measurement of high-water marks left on structures or vegetation. These remnant signals are not always reliable or accurate, however, and do not provide quantitative information about the timing of flooding, the sequencing of multiple paths by which storm-surge waters arrive, or the magnitude of waves.
To gain better knowledge about the effects of hurricanes, the U.S. Geological Survey Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center (USGS-CFWSC), in cooperation with municipal, State, and Federal agencies, uses two monitoring approaches to measure the timing, magnitude, and duration of hurricane tidal surge. The first approach uses the existing fixed network of gages that provide "real-time" data on water levels, and the second uses tidal-surge sensors that are temporarily-deployed in advance of hurricanes.
Real-Time Monitoring Network
Barometric Storm Surge Sensor struck by sailboat. The USGS maintains a network of real-time gaging stations along the Florida and Puerto Rico coasts. These stations record data at 15-minute intervals that are available on the web at water.usgs.gov, and include measurements of water level, velocity, specific conductance, salinity, temperature, nitrogen, turbidity, pH, chlorophyll, blue green algae, and dissolved oxygen. The real-time network monitors a large range of hydrologic conditions, from droughts to floods, and provides the data on the web for a broad base of stakeholders. In the event of a hurricane, the real-time network allows individuals to monitor the storm-surge data in near real time (maximum 1-hour delay). Depending on the elevation of the gage-house structure, real-time gages may be at risk of being inundated by flood waters during extreme storm surges.
Temporary Deployment of Hurricane Storm Surge Sensors
To augment the real-time gaging network, a temporary network of hurricane storm-surge sensors can be deployed prior to a hurricane that record data at 30-second intervals. As part of this monitoring approach, water-level and barometric-pressure sensors are deployed to areas of projected hurricane landfall. The addition of these sensors creates a concentrated network of storm-surge monitors that provide more spatially-dense information on hurricane tidal surge. For example, temporary deployment of sensors in the projected hurricane path can be placed to monitor the escalation and attenuation of the hurricane storm surge along coastal rivers and across barrier islands, low-lying areas, and wetlands. After the passing of a storm the locations of the temporarily-deployed sensors must be surveyed to a known elevation. The USGS has successfully deployed temporary tidal surge-networks for Hurricanes Rita (2005), Wilma (2005), Gustav (2008), Ike (2008), Irene (2011), Hermine (2016), Matthew (2016), Irma, 2017, Maria (2017), and Michael (2018) Tropical Storm Ernesto (2006), and Isaac (2018).
USGS hydrologic technician, installs a storm surge sensor in Aguirre, Puerto Rico. USGS Response to Hurricanes
CFWSC had been responding to the rains and flooding being forecast by ensuring that USGS real-time gages are operational and providing critical information on river stage and rainfall to the public, National Weather Service, and emergency management officials. In addition, USGS will deploy staff to make streamflow measurements at streamgages across the state to verify and update the river stage and streamflow discharge ratings. These ratings are critical for determining the volume of water that passes a streamgaging station at any given river stage and are used in issuing flood warnings, mapping floodplains, monitoring water-quality and environmental conditions, and managing water resources.
Summary
The use of existing fixed network stations along with temporarily-deployed water-level and barometric pressure sensors provides a cost-effective hurricane storm-surge monitoring network for Florida and Puerto Rico. The combined networks effectively leverage resources of many cooperative funding agencies in Florida and Puerto Rico to monitor hurricane storm surge. The data are a valuable resource for emergency preparedness agencies to better protect public safety, for engineers to improve structural design of coastal infrastructures, and for oceanographers to evaluate and improve hurricane storm-surge computer models.
- Multimedia
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Monitoring storm tide, flooding, and precipitation from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, September 2017
Hurricane Maria made landfall south of Yabucoa Harbor, Puerto Rico, as a category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 155 miles per hour on September 20, 2017. The hurricane devastated much of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Federal Emergency Management Agency, installed a temporary monitoring network of 13 water-level and bar
AuthorsMichael J. ByrneFilter Total Items: 13Monitoring storm tide, flooding, and precipitation from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, September 2017
Hurricane Maria made landfall south of Yabucoa Harbor, Puerto Rico, as a category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 155 miles per hour on September 20, 2017. The hurricane devastated much of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Federal Emergency Management Agency, installed a temporary monitoring network of 13 water-level and bar
AuthorsMichael J. ByrneMonitoring storm tide from Hurricane Michael along the northwest coast of Florida, October 2018
Hurricane Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach and Tyndall Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle, with maximum sustained winds over 160 miles per hour, on October 10, 2018. The maximum recorded storm tide was 15.55 feet above the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). The elevation of the maximum high-water mark, found in Port St. Joe, Florida, exceeded 20 feet above NAVD 88. The stAuthorsMichael J. Byrne2018 hurricane and wildfire supplemental funding: USGS recovery activities
The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-123), was signed by the President on February 9, 2018. This funding provided $42.2 million to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for equipment repair and replacement, high-resolution elevation data collection in both hurricane- and wildfire-impacted areas, and scientific studies and assessments that will
AuthorsJo Ellen Hinck, Joseph StachyraByEcosystems Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, Wildland Fire ScienceMonitoring storm tide and flooding from Hurricane Matthew along the Atlantic coast of the United States, October 2016
IntroductionHurricane Matthew moved adjacent to the coasts of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. The hurricane made landfall once near McClellanville, South Carolina, on October 8, 2016, as a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) deployed a temporary monitoring network of storm-tide sensors at 284 sites along the AtlanAuthorsEric R. Frantz, Michael J. Byrne, Andral W. Caldwell, Stephen L. HardenMeeting the Science Needs of the Nation in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy-- A U.S. Geological Survey Science Plan for Support of Restoration and Recovery
n late October 2012, Hurricane Sandy came ashore during a spring high tide on the New Jersey coastline, delivering hurricane-force winds, storm tides exceeding 19 feet, driving rain, and plummeting temperatures. Hurricane Sandy resulted in 72 direct fatalities in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States, and widespread and substantial physical, environmental, ecological, social, and economiAuthorsHerbert T. Buxton, Matthew E. Andersen, Michael J. Focazio, John W. Haines, Robert A. Hainly, Daniel J. Hippe, Larry J. SugarbakerFloods in Florida due to Tropical Storm Fay, August 15 through September 26, 2008
Weather conditions produced by Tropical Storm Fay from August 15 through September 26, 2008, caused historic flooding, spawned 19 tornadoes, inflicted $390 million in damages, and contributed to five deaths in Florida. This slow-moving system made four separate landfalls accompanied by extensive rainfall and some wind-induced effects. Major flooding with new period-of-record instantaneous peaks anAuthorsRichard J. Verdi, Sandra L. HoltMonitoring the storm tide of Hurricane Wilma in southwestern Florida, October 2005
Temporary monitoring stations employing non-vented pressure transducers were used to augment an existing U.S. Geological Survey coastal monitoring network to document the inland water levels related to the storm tide of Hurricane Wilma on the southwestern coast of Florida. On October 22, 2005, an experimental network consisting of 30 temporary stations was deployed over 90 miles of coastline to reAuthorsLars E. Soderqvist, Michael J. ByrneFloods in southwest-central Florida from hurricane Frances, September 2004
Hurricane Frances brought heavy rainfall and widespread flooding to southwest-central Florida September 4-14, 2004. The center of Hurricane Frances made landfall on the east coast of Florida on September 5 as a category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, then moved west-northwestward through central Florida before exiting Pasco County into the Gulf of Mexico on September 6 (fig. 1; NationalAuthorsRichard L. KaneHurricane Georges: Headwater flooding, storm surge, beach erosion, and habitat destruction on the Central Gulf Coast
No abstract available.AuthorsD. Phil Turnipseed, Gerald L. Giese, J. Leroy Pearman, Gaye S. Farris, M. Dennis Krohn, Asbury H. Sallenger,Hurricane Hortense: impact on surface water in Puerto Rico
Late Monday night, September 9, and into the early morning hours of Tuesday, September 10, 1996, Hurricane Hortense passed over the southwestern part of Puerto Rico (inset). Hurricane Hortense made landfall as a Category One Hurricane (74 to 95 miles per hour) on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, with maximum sustained winds of nearly 80 miles per hour. The eye of Hurricane Hortense moved over the towns o
AuthorsHeriberto Torres-SierraStorm-tide elevations caused by Hurricane Hugo on the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, September 18, 1989
No abstract available.
AuthorsHeriberto Torres-SierraCoastal zone hazards map of Puerto Rico: Hurricane Hugo impacted portion of the shoreline, Cibuco (Punta Garaza) to Punta Viento
No abstract available.AuthorsD. M. Bush, B. R. Richmond, W. J. Neal