Nor'easter Impacts, Large Battering Waves and Coastal Erosion

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Nor'easter Impacts, Large Battering Waves and Coastal Erosion Nor’easter Impacts, Large Battering Waves and Coastal Erosion John Cannon, NOAA/National Weather Service Maine Beaches Conference July 12th, 2013 Partnerships: NERACOOS NOS Wells National Reserve Maine Geological Survey City of Hampton and Saco NOAA in New England Group ME/NH Emergency Mgrs. & City Officials Coastal Services Center Maine Sea Grant Mass CMZ NART, NHDES …And many others… Coastal Hazards L Severe thunderstorms – Damaging winds, hail and Lightning L Marine Hazards – Hurricanes, Tsunamis, Rip Currents, Cold Water Drowning, Freezing Spray Oil Spills, Artic Sea Smoke L Winter Storms – Ice Storms – Blizzards – Nor’easters… L Large Ocean Waves: Coastal Erosion and Coastal Flooding L Fresh Water Flooding Marine Buoy Networks Monitoring Ocean Waves in the Gulf of Maine www.NERACOOS.org The Wave vs. Coastal Inundation Paradox Which is the greater threat for your location ??? The Patriot’s Day Storm, 2007 Saco, Maine A Dangerous Combination: As Wave Heights & Storm Tides Increase…the Threat of Coastal Damage Increases Coastal Flooding and The Relationship between High Storm Tides and Large Ocean Waves 25 Major Flooding 20 15 Moderate Flooding 10 Minor Flooding 5 Splash-over 0 Fresh Water Flooding Wave Height (ft) Height Wave 10 11 12 13 14 Storm Tide (ft) Figure 8: The empirical relationship between storm tide, waves and coastal flooding (1980-2007). Wave Climatology Portland, Maine (2007) So Large Waves (combined with high storm tides) Lead to coastal erosion and damage Wave Growth Factor of… 1. Wind speed 2. Fetch 3. Duration 1. Increased Wind Speeds: Allow for Wave Growth L East Coast Cyclogenesis can trigger… – Intense Nor’easters and “Hybrid” storms Gulf Stream Serves Important Role in Winter Storms Info on Hybrid Storms See… http://moe.met.fsu.edu/cyclonephase/ The Relationship Between Wind Speed and Wave Energy As winds increase…wave energy increases dramatically 2. Fetch: The longer distance winds travel over water, the greater the wave growth (NE, E or SE Flow) Storm Force Winds Patriots Day Storm: April 16, 2007 What about a “Moving Fetch”? Strong Wind Field Moves with the Large, Building Waves Local Example: Feb. 26, 2010 Waves During February, 2010 Nor’easter Rapid increase in wave height February, 2010… Storm Impact Saco, Wells, Popham Courtesy P. Slovinsky 3. Duration: Slow moving, long duration storms tend to produce larger waves (by creating a full sea state) “The Perfect Storm”: Time Scale Often Days and Not Hours Fast Moving Systems: Do not have time to produce large waves in Northern New England Hurricane Bob no issues A Conceptual Model of a Storm that Produces Large, Battering Waves in ME/NH Strong and Persistent winds with a “Moving Fetch” Feb 26th, 2010 Intense Nor’easter Produced Significant Erosion/Damage A few final thoughts about Large waves “Wave Setup” Water rise due to breaking waves - - potential energy of large ocean waves is converted into the kinetic energy required to maintain an anomalous surge of water near the shoreline. “Wave Run-up” Leads to Splash-over [The highest 2 % breaker run-up can be mathematically computed (Water rise ~ ½ York Beach Maine the predicted breaking wave height plus 50 cm)] “Waves: Bathymetry & Beach Orientation” Storm surge (sloshing effect) versus erosion http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/storm_surge.shtml Long Period Waves L Tropical Systems: Hurricane Bill, Acadia (2009) – Dangerous surf and rip currents – 13 Injuries with fatalities, Erosion “Very” Long Period Waves “Meteo-Tsunami” Boothbay Harbor, Oct. 2008 RADAR ANIMATION Base Reflectivity Loop Cell movement 82 kts Coastal Flood & Erosion Forecast Tools (Partnerships Underway to predict erosion/damage due to wave action) Stockdon (USGS) Empirical Collision Model Mignone 2013 Elements of Storm Impact Scaling Model Swash Regime: Minimal erosion/effect on the dunes 7 Least potential Hazard Elements of Storm Impact Scaling Model Collision Regime: Erosion of dunes/ Some splash-over 7 aves impact dune 7 Leads to erosion Elements of Storm Impact Scaling Model Overwash Regime: Splash-over & Backwater flooding 7 Dune overwash 7 Destruction of Dune 7 Road closures Elements of Storm Impact Scaling Model Inundation Regime: Coastal Flooding 7 Dunes are effectively underwater Test site Stockdon Equations: December 27th, 2012 Storm L Seas 21-25 feet at high tide (nearshore buoys) L Astronomical tide only 9.5’ in PWM Harbor + Storm surge 2.5’ = Yields Storm tide 12.0 feet (FS=12.0 ‘) L On a sunny day, 12.0 feet = minimal issues – But not this day Coastal Impact Tools Coastal Flood Nomogram based on Storm Tides/Waves Available at www.NERACOOS.org Expand Nomograms to other “Hot Spots” Rockland: FS ~ 12.5+ ft/ waves not a big issue Bath/Woolwich: FS ~ 12.5+ ft + heavy rains Portland: FS = 12 ft/commercial street floods at 13.5 ft Saco: FS ~ 12.75’ (Splash-over begins with 10+ ft waves + mdt-high storm tides causes flooding & closings of roadways) Wells/York/KBunk: FS ~ 12.75’ (Splash-over begins with 15-20 ft waves + moderate/high storm tides) Hampton: FS ~ 10.75 feet (Fort Point Gage)] (Splash-over mainly with ~ 15 - 20 ft waves + moderate/high storm tides) Available on our “Marine Wiki Page” Scituate Hampton Coastal Flooding and Splash-over Forecast Matrix Forecast Wave Height (Ft) (Buoy “B”) 0 2.5 5.0 7.5 10.0 12.5 15.0 17.5 20.0 22.5 25.0 27.5 30.0 32.5 14.00 Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj 13.75 Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj 13.50 Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj 13.25 Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj 13.00 Md Md Md Md Md Md Md Md Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj 12.75 Md Md Md Md Md Md Md Md Md Mj Mj Mj Mj Mj NECOFS Forecast Storm Tide (Ft) 12.50 Md Md Md Md Md Md Md Md Md Md Mj Mj Mj Mj (MLLW, Fort Point, NH) 12.25 Md Md Md Md Md Md Md Md Md Md Md Mj Mj Mj 12.00 MI Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Md Md Md Md Md Md Mj Mj 11.75 Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Md Md Md Md Md Md Mj FS ~ 10.75 ft 11.50 Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Md Md Md Md Md Mj 11.25 Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Md Md Md Md Md 11.00 Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Md Md Md Md Md 10.75 Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Md Md Md Md 10.50 Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Md Md Md Statement Optional 10.25 Ac Ac Ac Ac Ac Ac Ac Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Md Md 10.00 Ac Ac Ac Ac Ac Ac Ac Ac Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Md Issue Coastal Flood Advisory 9.75 - - - - - - - Ac Ac Mi Mi Mi Mi Mi Issue Coastal Flood 9.50 - - - - - - - - Ac Ac Mi Mi Mi Mi Warning 9.25 - - - - - - - - - Ac Ac Mi Mi Mi 9.00 - - - - - - - - - - Ac Ac Mi Mi 8.75 - - - - - - - - - - - Ac Ac Mi 8.50 - - - - - - - - - - - - Ac Ac 8.25 - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ac Ac = Action stage. High water levels or wave action with limited or unknown impact. Mi = Minor coastal flooding or splash-over along several roads and basements Md = Moderate coastal flooding or significant splash-over along numerous roadways. Isolated structural damage. Mj = Major coastal flooding with widespread flooding of vulnerable roadways. A few homes severely damaged Hampton NECOFS Model L This is “Part II” of NECOFS high res model following Scituate – Model development focusing on Hampton, NH due to high frequency of coastal inundation – Splash-over occurs along the Hampton Seawall as well Hampton/ Seabrook Watershed boundary Bridge Hampton/Seabrook Beach Hampton Goal: To provide high resolution inundation forecasts for Hampton Tide Gage Installation 12/11/2012 FS ~ 10.75’ December 27, 2012 February 8, 2013 Visualization Experts: UNH Partnership Courtesy CSC New ESTOFS Storm Surge Model “Sandy’s” Verification Portland: Actual Storm Surge = 2.5’ Storm tide = 11.50’ Waves = 22’ Winds 1026g37kt at high tide Fort Point: Actual Storm Surge = 1.7’ …Climatology Aids… Top Ten Tides Portland, Maine 1. 14.70’ - Feb 7, 1978 (Blizzard Of ’78) 2. 13.98’ - Jan 9, 1978 3. 13.40’ - Dec 4, 1990 4. 13.31’ – Mar 16, 1976 5. 13.29’ – Nov 20, 1944 6. 13.29’ – Nov 30, 1945 7. 13.28’ – April 16, 2007 8. 13.18’ – Jan 2, 1987 9. 13.18’ – Oct 30, 1991 10. 13.09’ – Apr 7, 1978 Splash-over along a seawall - courtesy Bruce Budd Tide Return Periods: We are Overdue! Frequency Portland, Maine (Return Period) 13.0’…once every 10 yrs (last time Apr 16, 2007) 13.5’…once every 50 yrs (last time Feb 7, 1978) 14.0’…once every 170 yrs (last time Feb 7, 1978) Spring Tide Data: Normal: 10.4’ above MLLW Maximum: 11.7’ above MLLW Coastal Services Center Social Science of Storm Surge Team L Team – Working with social scientists, marketing and communications specialists, social media experts L Goals – Develop and test effective storm messaging – Create new products and tools for different audience groups Verification: Storm Reporter Website http://reporter.me.stormsmart.org/ New Account Start Here!!! User: johncannon We need your help! Become a Coastal Storm Reporter. “Storm Based” Beach Profiling 2012-2013 Beach Profiles Examples from four notable storms: “Cold Season” 7 Hurricane Sandy (October 28th, 2012) 7 Early Season Nor’easter (December 27th, 2012) 7 Blizzard of 2013 – “Nemo” (February 8th, 2013) 7 Slow Moving Nor’easter (March 8th, 2013) March, 2013 Sandy… 7 Good lead time (“well behaved - slow moving storm”) allowed for early activation of beach monitoring IOSN3 East Winds: 0848G56 Peak wind 64 kts Seas: 25’ Every 11 sec Sandy’s Impact Significant Erosion Wells Beach (Casino Point, WE00) Note Date Before After Gooches Beach GO02 (Little Change after Sandy) Little Change December 27th Nor’easter Buoy “B” (High Tide) Seas=25’ every 11s Winds NE = 0551g56kt Beach Profile Changes (Following December 27th Storm) Erosion FE01 Erosion FE02 Displaced Eroding Edge of dune Before Before After After Camp Ellis CE01 (Little Change) December 27th Storm Measureable Gains (FE04) Sand accretion moved north up the beach? Gains Blizzard of 2013 “NEMO” Wells, Maine (February 8th) “Storm Based” Beach Profile * All-time record snowstorm Portland, Maine February 8th “Blizzard” Gooches Beach L Tree stumps 3000-4000 yrs old based on radiocarbon “I'd estimate the waves were between 12-16 feet high and really rolling in.
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