Storm Surge

Summary

During 2010-2014, the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) developed a high resolution storm surge model for the Yukon-Kuskoswim Delta area to provide high-resolution forecasts of storm surge and coastal flooding for vulnerable coastal communities in Western Alaska. In addition to flooding, the model also predicts thirty-one associated ecological impacts, assuming different sea level rise scenarios. The storm surge modeling was conducted with Delft3D software. The ocean boundary of the storm surge model was “forced” by real-time and forecasted water level data generated by National Weather Service’s Extra Tropical (ET)-Storm Surge model. In addition, we developed a hindcasting storm surge model for the Norton Sound.
The model was forced on its ocean boundary by output from a course grid ADCIRC storm surge model developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Delft3D and SWAN models were used for the storm surge and wave modeling, respectively. The ocean boundary of the SWAN wave model came from nowcasts and forecasts from NOAA’s Wavewatch III wave model. The model wave calibrated and validated using nearshore water level data and using satellite observations of inundation extent.