Mapping and Visualization of Coastal Flood Forecasts for Decision Support

The goal of this proposed research is to enable data-driven decision-making for coastal communities during storm events. The ADCIRC forecast data will be connected to geospatial databases for use by emergency managers to consider inundation and damages during storm scenarios. The critical objectives of this proposed research are (1) downscaling the model forecast data to the resolution of geospatial datasets used for decision support, (2) assessing the implications of this downscaling on forecast accuracy, and (3) connecting these technologies with an end user, specifically the NC Emergency Management.

JC Dietrich. “Mapping and Visualization of Coastal Flood Forecasts for Decision Support.” National Consortium for Data Science, Data Fellows, 2016/07/01 to 2017/06/30, $50,000 (Dietrich: $50,000).

Conference: CMWR 2016

JC Dietrich, CN Dawson, A Thomas. “Improved Efficiency for Wave and Surge Models via Adaptive Domain Decomposition.” Computational Methods for Water Resources, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 20-24 June 2016.

Conference: ECM 2016

R Cyriac, JC Dietrich, A Fathi, CN Dawson, KM Dresback, CA Blain, M Bilskie, SC Hagen, H Graber. “Modeling 3D Circulation in the Choctawhatchee Bay and River System.” 14th International Conference on Estuarine and Coastal Modeling, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA, 13-15 June 2016.

News: Sea Grant Research Tackles Important Issues

2016/05/18 – NC Sea Grant Coastwatch Currents
Considering Coastal Questions: Sea Grant Research Tackles Important Issues

Beach erosion during storm events can devastate the natural environment and coastal communities. This research team seeks to improve simulations of coastal flooding in regions where the beach erosion is highly dynamic. Such simulations are used in North Carolina and elsewhere for designing buildings, establishing flood insurance rates, and supporting real-time decisions during storm events.

The research will review effects of hurricanes Isabel and Irene on oceanfront and soundside shorelines for Hatteras Island, as well as how storm-induced flooding pushed inland. New predictions will be strengthened as the data are coupled with a beach-erosion model. The team will share results with local- and state-level partners to show connections not only throughout the island system but also related impacts on mainland communities.

Presentation: CARTHE 2016

R Cyriac, JC Dietrich+, A Fathi, CN Dawson, KM Dresback, M Bilskie, SC Hagen, H Graber. “Updates on Coastal Modeling: Part II – Model Development for Choctawhatchee Bay.” CARTHE-II All-Hands Meeting, Coral Gables, Florida, 12 May 2016.

+ Presenter, if other than first author.

Please click here for more information about CARTHE.

Conference: ADCIRC 2016

R Cyriac, JC Dietrich, A Fathi, CN Dawson, KM Dresback, M Bilskie, SC Hagen, H Graber. “Modeling 3D Circulation in the Choctawhatchee Bay and River System.” ADCIRC Users Group Meeting, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, Vicksburg, Mississippi, 05 May 2016.

A Thomas, JC Dietrich, JG Fleming, BO Blanton, RA Luettich Jr. “Optimizing the Placement of Unstructured Mesh Resolution for ADCIRC in Coastal Regions.” ADCIRC Users Group Meeting, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, Vicksburg, Mississippi, 06 May 2016.

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Seminar: Jackson State University

JC Dietrich, A Thomas, A Behnia, CN Dawson. “Hurricane Wave and Storm Surge Forecasting for the North Carolina Coast.” Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Jackson State University, 04 May 2016.

News: National Consortium for Data Science chooses Data Fellows

2016/04/28 – NCDS
National Consortium for Data Science chooses researchers from three universities as 2016 -2017 Data Fellows

Three researchers located at Drexel University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have been named 2016 -2017 Data Fellows by the National Consortium for Data Science (NCDS) the consortium announced today.

Researchers in North Carolina use the Advanced CIRCulation (ADCIRC) model to provide real-time information about storm surge, water inundation, wind speeds, and wave heights during coastal storms. These models are produced constantly during major storms, however, communicating the information in the simulations to end users, such as emergency managers, is more challenging. This project will use visualization techniques to bring ADCIRC model data to emergency managers so they can quickly identify, analyze, and disseminate information about high-risk areas. By incorporating the model data with other data sources, the researchers hope to enable informed decision-making about evacuations and other disaster management efforts.