The USGS has developed significant expertise for a range of scientific disciplines required to understand and respond to the rapidly changing dynamics of coastal communities and ecosystems of the Northeast coastal region. By combining that expertise in a capability team focused on coastal issues, the USGS could provide critical new science products for supporting important management decisions in the coming years.
The landfall of Hurricanes Irene and Sandy and Tropical Storm Lee have significantly increased concern over coastal erosion, inundation, and wave damage in the Northeastern coast. Recently, through the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 (P.L. 113-2), Congress appropriated $829 million ($786.7 after sequestration) for the Department of the Interior (DOI, the Department) and its bureaus to address impacts from Hurricane Sandy.
The Northeast Region hosts Urban Landscapes, Coastal Science, and Flood Science Capability Teams.
GOALS
The Northeast Region Coastal Science Capability Team will advance the Northeast Region as a leader in coastal-science programs. The Team will be a resource to assist the Region and its Science Centers to develop and maintain coastal-science programs. Specific areas for technical collaboration will include:
- Linking Flood Inundation Mapping (FIM) in riverine and coastal regions
- Major coastal flood, surge, and wave response, including rapid deployment and post-flood documentation activities
- Coastal erosion hazards and coastal processes and risk
- Documenting/understanding effects of coastal storms and flooding on coastal landscapes and ecosystems
- Linking surge, wave, tide, and river runoff for comprehensive coastal, sediment transport, hydrodynamic, and oceanographic modeling
MAJOR OBJECTIVES
Major objectives for the Northeast Region Coastal Science Capability Team will include:
- Develop technical plan and support material, such as a science vision, training, and seminars for Northeast Region technical staff.
- Keep Region technical staff aware of coastal-science related developments, particularly with Sandy and post-Sandy science opportunities, through Webinars and face-to-face meetings. Maintain forums for Region SCs to share technical problems and ideas.
- Build and maintain coastal-science program development material for Northeast Region SCs and assist the Northeast Region Science Advisors with regional program development through technical support.
- Work with Northeast Region scientists to develop (1) a technical vision for new coastal-science work, such as surge and wave forecast support for the National Weather Service, (2) Region coastal storm “rapid response teams,” and (3) new tools for addressing erosion hazards; and to integrate coastal science programs into other agency programs, such as FEMA’s RiskMap, NOAAs early warning systems, and State/Local emergency management.
- Interface with USGS Coastal Science Teams in the other Regions to draw upon their expertise and foster information exchange.
- Support and develop program to compliment the Sandy coastal resilience projects.
- Assist the Mission Areas by providing technical reviews and testing of new coastal science and hazard reduction templates, tools, methods, and/or products.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Analysis of storm-tide impacts from Hurricane Sandy in New York
100-Year flood–it's all about chance
An evaluation of selected extraordinary floods in the United States reported by the U.S. Geological Survey and implications for future advancement of flood science
- Overview
The USGS has developed significant expertise for a range of scientific disciplines required to understand and respond to the rapidly changing dynamics of coastal communities and ecosystems of the Northeast coastal region. By combining that expertise in a capability team focused on coastal issues, the USGS could provide critical new science products for supporting important management decisions in the coming years.
The landfall of Hurricanes Irene and Sandy and Tropical Storm Lee have significantly increased concern over coastal erosion, inundation, and wave damage in the Northeastern coast. Recently, through the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 (P.L. 113-2), Congress appropriated $829 million ($786.7 after sequestration) for the Department of the Interior (DOI, the Department) and its bureaus to address impacts from Hurricane Sandy.
The Northeast Region hosts Urban Landscapes, Coastal Science, and Flood Science Capability Teams.
GOALS
The Northeast Region Coastal Science Capability Team will advance the Northeast Region as a leader in coastal-science programs. The Team will be a resource to assist the Region and its Science Centers to develop and maintain coastal-science programs. Specific areas for technical collaboration will include:- Linking Flood Inundation Mapping (FIM) in riverine and coastal regions
- Major coastal flood, surge, and wave response, including rapid deployment and post-flood documentation activities
- Coastal erosion hazards and coastal processes and risk
- Documenting/understanding effects of coastal storms and flooding on coastal landscapes and ecosystems
- Linking surge, wave, tide, and river runoff for comprehensive coastal, sediment transport, hydrodynamic, and oceanographic modeling
MAJOR OBJECTIVES
Major objectives for the Northeast Region Coastal Science Capability Team will include:- Develop technical plan and support material, such as a science vision, training, and seminars for Northeast Region technical staff.
- Keep Region technical staff aware of coastal-science related developments, particularly with Sandy and post-Sandy science opportunities, through Webinars and face-to-face meetings. Maintain forums for Region SCs to share technical problems and ideas.
- Build and maintain coastal-science program development material for Northeast Region SCs and assist the Northeast Region Science Advisors with regional program development through technical support.
- Work with Northeast Region scientists to develop (1) a technical vision for new coastal-science work, such as surge and wave forecast support for the National Weather Service, (2) Region coastal storm “rapid response teams,” and (3) new tools for addressing erosion hazards; and to integrate coastal science programs into other agency programs, such as FEMA’s RiskMap, NOAAs early warning systems, and State/Local emergency management.
- Interface with USGS Coastal Science Teams in the other Regions to draw upon their expertise and foster information exchange.
- Support and develop program to compliment the Sandy coastal resilience projects.
- Assist the Mission Areas by providing technical reviews and testing of new coastal science and hazard reduction templates, tools, methods, and/or products.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Analysis of storm-tide impacts from Hurricane Sandy in New York
The hybrid cyclone-nor’easter known as Hurricane Sandy affected the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States during October 28-30, 2012, causing extensive coastal flooding. Prior to storm landfall, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) deployed a temporary monitoring network from Virginia to Maine to record the storm tide and coastal flooding generated by Hurricane Sandy. This sensor network augmen100-Year flood–it's all about chance
In the 1960's, the United States government decided to use the 1-percent annual exceedance probability (AEP) flood as the basis for the National Flood Insurance Program. The 1-percent AEP flood was thought to be a fair balance between protecting the public and overly stringent regulation. Because the 1-percent AEP flood has a 1 in 100 chance of being equaled or exceeded in any 1 year, and it has aAn evaluation of selected extraordinary floods in the United States reported by the U.S. Geological Survey and implications for future advancement of flood science
Thirty flood peak discharges determine the envelope curve of maximum floods documented in the United States by the U.S. Geological Survey. These floods occurred from 1927 to 1978 and are extraordinary not just in their magnitude, but in their hydraulic and geomorphic characteristics. The reliability of the computed discharge of these extraordinary floods was reviewed and evaluated using current (2