What is the role of the USGS in responding to hurricanes?
The USGS creates detailed maps of our Nation’s shorelines, dunes, and coastal cliffs, and studies how storm processes impact our coastlines. This information is used to predict and map coastal vulnerability to changes caused by major storms, long-term shoreline erosion, sea-level rise, and sea cliff erosion.
One example is the USGS Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecast Viewer, which uses storm surge predictions, wave forecast models, beach slope, and dune height to predict how high waves and surge will move up a beach during a hurricane and whether the protective dunes will be overtopped. This helps emergency managers identify where serious problems are likely to occur during a storm.
The USGS also often deploys a network of storm-tide sensors at key locations when a hurricane is approaching the coast. The information they collect helps public officials assess storm damage, discern between wind and flood damage, and improve computer models used to forecast future floods.
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Where can I find flood maps? Where can I find flood maps?
FEMA is the official public source for flood maps for insurance purposes: FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer NOAA is responsible for producing flood forecast maps that combine precipitation data with USGS streamflow data: NWS - National Water Prediction Service: River forecasts and long range flood outlook Coastal Inundation Dashboard: Real-time and historical...
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Where can I find flood maps? Where can I find flood maps?
FEMA is the official public source for flood maps for insurance purposes: FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer NOAA is responsible for producing flood forecast maps that combine precipitation data with USGS streamflow data: NWS - National Water Prediction Service: River forecasts and long range flood outlook Coastal Inundation Dashboard: Real-time and historical...