U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey
64th Interdepartmental Hurricane ConferenceMarch 2, 2010
Savannah, Georgia
Mapping Hurricane
Inland Storm Surge
• Intent of SSS Pilot Program
• History of SSS Pilot Program
• Roles & Responsibilities
• Designing a SSS Network
• Sensors & Housings
• Timeline of Storm Event
• Results
Where Do You Want to Go Today?
Intent of SSS Test Program
Storm Surge Monitoring
A USGS program to monitor the areal extent and time hydrograph of hurricane storm surge for better documentation and modeling using rapid-deployment gages for the improvement of understanding of storm surge for better forecasting and response.
Intent of SSS Test Program
Storm Surge Monitoring
The data from this program is used to better calibrate storm surge models for more accurate surge forecasting caused by hurricanes.
Traditional surge documentation was high water marks
Previous to program, few continuous hydrographs of storm surge with very sparse coverage of any one event
• Idea created by staff at Ruston, LA Program Office following Katrina (2005)
• Quickly deployed for Rita (2005) in LA• Wilma (2005) in FL• Three SSS Centers created in 2006
(Ruston, Atlanta, and Orlando)• Ernesto (2006) in Carolinas• Limited deployment for Dean in South
TX (2007)• Formalized by line item for 2008 USGS
budget• Deployed for Gustav and Ike (2008)• No Gulf deployments in 2009• Limited deployment (6) for T.S. Ida in
Chesapeake Bay (2009)• No line item in 2010• Maximum 1 small deployment in 2010
History of SSS Pilot Program
Storm Surge Monitoring
• Project Oversight—OSW
• Storm Surge Centers• Ruston, LA
• Atlanta
• Orlando
• Water Science Centers
• Focused on Gulf States, but Atlantic and Caribbean deployments possible
Roles and Responsibilities
Chain of Command OSW
Ruston Atlanta Orlando
TX
LA
MS
AL
VA
NC
SC
GA
FL
PR
Prior to start of seasonOSW & SSC planning period
Prior to landfallBriefings from NHC & NWSAssign SSC primary lead & teamsAssign WSC Communications leadDeploy sensors
After landfallSensor Recovery and processingCooperator/media outreach
Post-stormSurveying (if needed)Data Analysis and ReportingPrep for next stormPost-storm briefings to OFCM workgroup
Roles and ResponsibilitiesCommunication & Coordination
• Pre-determined sites• Selected from map and surge model
analysis• Some may be pre-reconned• Some may have been deployed at
previously• State and local agencies comments solicited• Need more input from OFAs (NOAA, Corps)• Starting to have “fixed” surge sites
• Opportunistic sites• Location determined during pre-deployment
meeting and during deployment• “On-the-fly”
SSS Network Design
Types of Sites
• Sensor location in water column• Expected surge height• Variability in Projected Storm Path• Datum Control• Barrier Islands• Accessibility• Proximity to Population Centers• Proximity to Existing Real-Time Gages• Quality-Assurance of SSS• Location of Barometric Pressure Sensors• Local WSC needs
SSS Network Design
Site Selection Factors
• Onset HOBO pressure transducer (196 total)• Uses USB docking station to download data• Non-vented pressure transducer• 0-30 foot range• Internal battery must be factory replaced• Used for 30-second data intervals• Used as both BP and Surge sensors
• Insitu TROLL pressure sensor (32 total, RT & salinity)• Non-vented pressure transducer• 0-35.8 foot range• SDI-12• Used for 2-second data intervals (wave height)
Sensors and Housings
Sensor Types
• Housing Pipe• Housing Cap• Sensor Eye Bolt• Ratchet Strap• USGS Visual Identity Sticker
Sensors and Housings
Housing
Results
H
High-watermarkHigh-watermark
Time-Series Water-Level Hydrographs!Results-Rita
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3136/
Surge/Velocity Progression up Calcasieu River
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
9/23/05 9/24/05
TIME, IN DAYS
ELEV
ATI
ON
, IN
FEE
T A
BO
VE N
AVD
198
8
LC8aLC7LC6aLC5LC2aLC2b
8.7 ft/s
5.2 ft/s
2.8 ft/s
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
9/23/05 9/24/05
TIME, IN DAYS
ELEV
ATI
ON
, IN
FEE
T A
BO
VE N
AVD
198
8
LC8aLC7LC6aLC5LC2aLC2b
8.7 ft/s
5.2 ft/s
2.8 ft/s
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
9/23/05 9/24/05
TIME, IN DAYS
ELEV
ATI
ON
, IN
FEE
T A
BO
VE N
AVD
198
8
LC8aLC7LC6aLC5LC2aLC2b
8.7 ft/s
5.2 ft/s
2.8 ft/s
Results-Rita
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3136/
Wave Heights 1000 Feet From Beach
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
9/23/05 9/24/05 9/25/05 9/26/05
WA
TE
R L
EV
EL
IN F
EE
T
-2
0
2
4
6
8
10
DIF
FE
RE
NC
E IN
FE
ET
WaterLevelDifference
Tide
Results-Rita
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3136/
Storm Tide at 12:00 am
LafayetteLake Charles
Port Arthur
Beaumont
9.36.6
5.35
6.066.035.99
2.01
10.1
0.69
9.176.1110.56
§̈¦10§̈¦210
§̈¦49
§̈¦10
§̈¦10
£¤90
£¤165
£¤167
£¤69
£¤90
Cameron Vermilion
Calcasieu
Acadia
Orange
Jefferson Davis Lafayette
Jefferson
NewtonJasper
Iberia
St. Martin
St. Landry
Sabine Natl Wildlife RefugeSabine Natl Wildlife Refuge
Cameron Prairie NwrCameron Prairie Nwr
Results-Rita
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3136/
Storm Tide at 3:00 am
LafayetteLake Charles
Port Arthur
Beaumont
5.95
6.926.896.91
4.78
2.02
2.12 2.25
7.32
10.34 13.0812.21
10.62
13.8914.25 10.34
§̈¦10§̈¦210
§̈¦49
§̈¦10
§̈¦10
£¤90
£¤165
£¤167
£¤69
£¤90
Cameron
Vermilion
CalcasieuAcadia
Orange
Jefferson Davis Lafayette
Jefferson
Newton
Iberia
Jasper
St. Martin
St. Landry
Sabine Natl Wildlife RefugeSabine Natl Wildlife RefugeCameron Prairie NwrCameron Prairie Nwr
Results-Rita
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3136/
Storm Tide at 6:00 am
LafayetteLake Charles
Port Arthur
Beaumont
7.7
7.84
7.727.68
8.517.359.79
7.27
7.01
9.35
4.09 4.32
9.18 9.61
7.99
10.59
§̈¦10§̈¦210
§̈¦49
§̈¦10
§̈¦10
£¤90
£¤165
£¤167
£¤69
£¤90
Cameron
Vermilion
Calcasieu
Acadia
Orange
Jefferson Davis Lafayette
Jefferson
NewtonJasper
Iberia
St. Martin
St. Landry
Sabine Natl Wildlife RefugeSabine Natl Wildlife RefugeCameron Prairie NwrCameron Prairie Nwr
Results-Rita
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3136/
Storm Tide at 9:00 am
LafayetteLake Charles
Port Arthur
Beaumont
7
9.8
8.838.798.79
7.016.864.47
9.06
4.98 5.65
6.47
7.26 7.42
6.75
10.01
§̈¦10§̈¦210
§̈¦49
§̈¦10
§̈¦10
£¤90
£¤165
£¤167
£¤69
£¤90
£¤90
Cameron
Vermilion
Calcasieu
Acadia
Orange
Jefferson Davis Lafayette
Jefferson
NewtonJasper
Iberia
St. LandryBeauregard
St. Martin
Allen
Sabine Natl Wildlife RefugeSabine Natl Wildlife RefugeCameron Prairie NwrCameron Prairie Nwr
Results-Rita
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3136/
8.7
9.52
7.52
14.9
7.38
5.04 6.93
8.03
8.93
6.62
9.35
10.07
10.62
13.8213.34
11.15
14.8314.68 10.73
§̈¦10§̈¦210
§̈¦49
§̈¦10
§̈¦10
£¤90
£¤165
£¤96
£¤167
£¤69
£¤171
£¤90
Cameron
Vermilion
Calcasieu
Acadia
Orange
Jefferson Davis Lafayette
Jefferson
NewtonJasper
St. Landry
Allen
Iberia
Beauregard
St. Martin
Sabine Natl Wildlife RefugeSabine Natl Wildlife RefugeCameron Prairie NwrCameron Prairie Nwr
Maximum Storm TideResults-Rita
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3136/
21
Hurricane Rita 10-foot Flood Elevations
Results-Rita
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3136/
Results-Gustav
Landfall September 1, 2008
Results-Gustav
121 total sensors deployed• 61 water level• 49 barometric pressure• 10 were lost to storm
• 21 sites had surge• 18 sites monitored riverine flooding• 5 sites were mixed/uncertain• 17 affected by gates/pumps• 8 feet approximate maximum
surge recorded
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1373/
Results-Ike
Landfall on September 12-13, 2008
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1365/
Results-Ike
105 total sensors deployed• 59 water level• 46 barometric pressure• 12 were lost to storm
• 41 sites had surge• 10 sites monitored riverine flooding• 8 sites were beach/wave• 14-15 feet approximate maximum
surge recorded
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1365/
Summary
Collaborations
• Office of Federal Coordination for Meteorology—Post-storm data workgroup
• National Hurricane Center• National Weather Service• Digital Hurricane Consortium (for
complimentary wind data)• Universities:
• LSU• OU• Notre Dame• Florida• Clemson
• Need more input from modelers!!!
Summary
• Program has been activated for 7 storms since 2005
• Standard Operations Plan in place for non-real-time sensor deployment
• All information online at:• http://water.usgs.gov/osw/programs/storm_sur
ge.html
• Efforts have attracted numerous media including The Weather Channel and CNN
• For 2010—smaller deployments (1 storm max)
• Data are extremely valuable for modeling and understanding of storm surge—thus potentially benefitting from future prediction and response.