Coastal Storm Surge Analysis: Storm Surge Results. Report 5: Intermediate Submission No. 3.

摘要

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Region III office, has initiated a study to update the coastal storm surge elevations within the states of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, including the Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay (including its tributaries), and the Delaware Bay. This effort is one of the most extensive coastal storm surge analyses to date, encompassing coastal floodplains in three states and including the largest estuary in the world. The study will replace outdated coastal storm surge stillwater elevations for all Flood Insurance Studies in the study area, and serve as the basis for new coastal hazard analyses and ultimately updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). Study efforts were initiated in August of 2008, and were concluded in 2013. The storm surge study utilized the ADvanced CIRCulation Model for Oceanic, Coastal, and Estuarine Waters (ADCIRC) for simulation of two- dimensional hydraulics. ADCIRC was coupled with two-dimensional wave models to calculate the combined effects of surge and wind-induced waves. A seamless modeling grid was developed to support the storm surge modeling efforts. This report is the fifth and final in a series for the project. It provides a detailed overview of the extratropical and tropical storm statistical analyses, treatment of tidal influences, and final water level recurrence interval results. Furthermore, the similarities and differences between the new results and earlier study findings are explored.