National Assessment of Hurricane-Induced Coastal Erosion Hazards: Puerto Rico

These datasets contain information on the probabilities of hurricane-induced erosion (collision, inundation, and overwash) for each 100-meter (m) section of the Puerto Rico open-ocean coastline for category 1-5 hurricanes. The analysis is based on a storm-impact scaling model (Sallenger, 2000; https://www.jstor.org/stable/4300099) that uses observations of beach morphology combined with sophisticated hydrodynamic models to predict how the coast will respond to the direct landfall of category 1-5 hurricanes. Hurricane-induced water levels, due to both surge and waves, are compared to coastal elevations to determine the probabilities of three types of coastal change: collision (dune erosion), overwash, and inundation. Data on dune and cliff morphology (dune crest and toe elevation, cliff top and toe elevation) and hydrodynamics (storm surge, wave setup, and runup) are also included in this dataset. As new morphology observations and storm predictions become available, this analysis will be updated to describe how coastal vulnerability to storms will vary in the future. The data presented here include the dune and cliff morphology observations, as derived from lidar surveys. USGS Open-File Report 2012-1084.

For further information regarding data collection and/or processing methods refer to:

Stockdon, H.F., Doran, K.J., Thompson, D.M., Sopkin, K.L., Plant, N.G., and Sallenger, A.H., 2012, National assessment of hurricane-induced coastal erosion hazards-Gulf of Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2012-1084, 51 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20121084.