Author(s): T. W. Gallien; J. E. Schubert; Y. K. Poon; B. F. Sanders
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Coastal flooding; Inundation modeling; Flood mapping; Urban flooding; Wave overtopping; Sea level rise
Abstract: Newport Beach, a highly developed, densely populated coastal lowland in southern California is periodically subject to flooding from coincident high tides and winter storms. Globally, sea levels are expected to rise approximately one meter in the next century and advanced coastal flood modeling tools will be required to understand critical flood processes and develop meaningful sea level rise impact assessments. A recently developed 2D flood simulation is utilized to investigate the effect of high tides occurring with increased sea levels. Additionally, a simple wave overtopping model is proposed to account for wind driven waves in an embayment. Application of the model to a documented January 2005 storm provides insight into the critical process description, model parameterization and data requirements needed to address future flooding threats to urbanized coastal communities.
Year: 2011