Compound Flooding

Project summary:

This project will investigate the potential of identifying flood transition zones prone to compound flooding along the Texas coast due to rainfall-runoff and storm surge processes. This modeling project will utilize a high-resolution Advanced Circulation (ADCIRC) model, a well-known and extensively validated model for coastal processes including tides, wind, waves, river inflows, and inundation. This project will significantly advance capabilities in identifying compound flood transitional zones where storm surge and riverine flow affect water surface elevation and will provide new tools and products for decision-makers along the Texas coast. This initial study will pave the way for future studies where we may combine ADCIRC with rainfall-runoff models such as HEC-RAS, appropriate for each watershed.

Project deliverable(s):

• Modified ADCIRC models with proper resolution within the estuarine systems and flow boundary conditions for all gaged and ungaged watersheds (USGS and TXRR)
• Run simulations of historical and synthetized storms/scenarios selected for this project with associated tide, wind, and flow data
• Scripts for post processing the results
• GIS shapefiles
• Data and software used
• Final report that includes an appendix with TWDB comments and contractor response

Contractor (and Principal Investigator, if appropriate):

UT Austin, Dr. Clint Dawson

Contract amount:

$175,000

Project lead:

Amin Kiaghadi, Ph.D., P.E.

Project timeline:

March 2022 - June 2025