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Predicting and Visualizing Storm Surges and Coastal Inundation: A Case Study from Maryland, USA

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Typhoon Impact and Crisis Management

Part of the book series: Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research ((NTHR,volume 40))

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Abstract

Many low-lying coastal regions are vulnerable to both chronic hazards associated with inundation by sea-level rise, and episodic storm surges generated by hurricanes and typhoons. Using Maryland’s coast as an example, we provide an overview of a recent effort in the development of a state-of-the-art coastal inundation prediction system. We use a suite of atmospheric and hydrodynamic models to obtain an ensemble forecast of storm surge and overland inundation. Advanced graphic software such as ArcGIS and Google Earth is used to generate high-resolution images and animations of inundation in flood-prone areas. Such an end-to-end inundation prediction system can be applied to any coastal region. Given the accelerating sea-level rise and projected increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in a warming climate, we discuss how sea-level rise, changing tidal ranges and storm surges combine together to generate dangerously high surges in coastal regions.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Danling Tang for inviting us to attend the cross-strait workshop on typhoon impacts and crisis managements. We also thank Harry Wang, John Billet, Bill Boicourt, Kevin Seller, Liz Smith and others for their collaborations in developing the CIPS inundation prediction system. Michael Scott and Mick Tyndall‘s help with ArcGIS and Google Earth is greatly appreciated. This work was supported by grants from NOAA (NA07NOS4730214) and NSF (OCE-082543). This is UMCES contribution number 4731.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Horn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, 2020 Horn Point Road, Cambridge, MD, 21613, USA

    Ming Li & Peng Jia

  2. Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Salisbury University, 1101 Camden Avenue, Salisbury, MD, 21801, USA

    Xiaohong Wang

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  1. Ming Li
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  3. Peng Jia
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Correspondence to Ming Li .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Chinese Academy of Sciences, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou, China

    Dan Ling Tang

  2. Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China

    Guangjun Sui

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Li, M., Wang, X., Jia, P. (2014). Predicting and Visualizing Storm Surges and Coastal Inundation: A Case Study from Maryland, USA. In: Tang, D., Sui, G. (eds) Typhoon Impact and Crisis Management. Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research, vol 40. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40695-9_6

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