Coastal Hydrology and Storm Surge
Coastal Hydrology and Storm Surge
Storm surge is one of the most powerful and destructive elements of hurricanes. High tides and waves can flood and inundate coastal areas, move sediment and alter drainage patterns. USGS works with partners to forecast and measure storm surge and other hydrologic impacts of hurricanes providing data analysis and delivery to coastal communities both before and after the storm.
Filter Total Items: 7
Quantifying Flood Risk and Reef Risk Reduction Benefits in Florida and Puerto Rico: The Consequences of Hurricane Damage, Long-term Degradation, and Restoration Opportunities
Coastal flooding and erosion from extreme weather events affect thousands of vulnerable coastal communities; the impacts of coastal flooding are predicted to worsen during this century because of population growth and climate change. Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 were particularly devasting to humans and natural communities. The coral reefs off the State of Florida and the Commonwealth of...
Coral Reef Project: Puerto Rico
To better understand how waves move across coral reefs and cause flooding on tropical shorelines, USGS scientists have installed video cameras and oceanographic instruments off San Juan and Rincón, Puerto Rico. Their work is part of a study funded by USGS after Hurricanes Irma and María. The offshore instruments measure wave heights and speeds; the onshore video cameras show where waves break on...
COAWST: A Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport Modeling System
Understanding the processes responsible for coastal change is important for managing both our natural and economic coastal resources. Storms are one of the primary driving forces causing coastal change from a coupling of wave- and wind-driven flows. To better understand storm impacts and their effects on our coastlines, there is an international need to better predict storm paths and intensities...
Flood Inundation Mapping (FIM) Program
Floods are the leading cause of natural-disaster losses in the U.S. More than 75 percent of declared Federal disasters are related to floods, and annual flood losses average almost $8 billion with over 90 fatalities per year. Although the amount of fatalities has declined due to improved early warning systems, economic losses continue to rise with increased urbanization in flood-hazard areas.
Hurricane Response Science in Oklahoma and Texas
The USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center (OTWSC) has a hurricane response program which includes a rapid-deployment storm-surge monitor network in advance of hurricanes, real-time monitoring of streamflow throughout the impacted area during a hurricane, and collection of high-water marks and assessment of floods after hurricanes. Visit the links below for more information on our data and...
Coastal Monitoring Tide Gage Sites in Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C.
Vital coastal storm-tide information needed to help guide storm response efforts following major storms affecting Maryland will be more accessible than ever due to a new monitoring network the U.S. Geological Survey is currently building. A team from the USGS MD-DE-DC Water Science Center is surveying 63 locations in the state, determining their elevations and installing receiving brackets at...
Hurricane Sandy Impacts on Coastal Wetland Resilience in the Northeast United States
The Challenge: The high winds and storm surge associated with Hurricane Sandy impacted coastal wetlands from Virginia to Maine. Understanding the ecological and geological impacts of hurricanes on coastal wetlands and their interactive effects with local conditions is important for identifying resilience of these communities to predicted global sea-level rise. Given the projected increase in...