Monitoring Hurricane Rita Inland Storm Surge

Home , Hurricane Rita, Louisiana Highway 82

ARKANSAS 96 49

165 MISSISSIPPI LOUISIANA LC2b LA3 TEXAS LC3 (8.0) 10 LC4 LOUISIANA LC2a (10.8) LA2 Lafayette ALABAMA Lake Charles 90 Beaumont Orange (8.9) (4.5) TEXAS B1 10 B19b LA8 LA7 LC6b 14 167 LC5 (5.3) (4.2) Study Area B20 Abbeville B19a LC6a LF3 (5.0) (6.9) 27 B10 Port 27 (9.5) Arthur LC7 LC8b Grand LF5 B12 Sabine Calcasieu Lake Lake (11.2) Lake (10.1) LC12 LC9 (7.4) Gulf of Mexico (7.5) LC8a B15b LC11 (13.8)LC10 LA12 LA11 LA9b Sabine LC13 82 (13.3) LA9 82 White Lake (10.7) Pass (9.4) (10.6) (14.9) (14.8) (14.7) LA10 (6.6) (8.7) Vermilion Gulf of Mexico - Barometric-pressure sensors Lake - Water-level sensors 0 5 10 20 Miles - Co-located barometric and water-level sensor A B 0 5 10 20 Kilometers (9.4) C Hurricane Rita storm track obtained from the NOAA National Hurricane Center - Maximum surge elevation (feet above NAVD88)

Map showing path of Hurricane Rita and study area. Map showing locations of storm-surge sensors in southwestern Louisiana and southeastern Texas. Water-level and barometric-pressure sensor.

A Mobile Network of Storm-Surge Sensors Recovering the Sensors

As Hurricane Rita approached the Texas and Louisiana coasts (A), Hurricane Rita made landfall early on the U.S. Geological Survey deployed an experimental water-level and the morning of September 24, 2005. Of barometric-pressure gage network to record the magnitude, extent, the 34 water-level sensors, significant and timing of inland hurricane storm surge and coastal flooding. A inundation occurred at 24 representing total of 47 sensors (34 water-level and 13 barometric-pressure) were an area of approximately 4,000 square deployed from September 22-23, 2005. Sensors were located from miles. Water-level data for these sites Sabine Pass, Texas, through Abbeville, Louisiana, at distances were corrected for salinity (water ranging from a few hundred feet to approximately 30 miles inland (B). density) and barometric pressure and Sensors (C) were encased in 1.5 inch by 18 inch metal pipes (D) and related to the North American Vertical strapped to permanent objects, such as piers and power poles (D, E, Datum of 1988 using a real-time and F). The sensors recorded pressure and temperature readings kinematic global-positioning system D every 30 seconds during the storm and for several days afterwards. E survey. F

Storm Surge Data from Hurricane Rita - - Site: LF3 Quality-Assuring the Water-Level Data 16.016.0 115.05.0 15.015.0 At selected sites, multiple water-level sensors were deployed to measure the variability between individual sensors and existing USGS 114.84.8 stream gages. Water-level data collected by the clustered sensors agreed closely with each other (G) and with water-level data from USGS 14.014.0

T stream gages (H).

E 13.013.0 E 114.64.6 B F Comparisons between high-water marks and peak storm surge measured by the water-level sensors varied with the quality of the high-water

12.0 12.0 A , mark. High-water marks rated as “excellent” agreed closely with the storm-surge peaks recorded by the sensors (I), while high-water marks R 8 8 1111.0.0 114.44.4 O of lesser quality were consistently lower than the maximum elevations indicated by the sensors (J). 9 Barometric pressure, PSI M 1

10.0 10.0 Elevation above NAVD 1988, feet E D T

V Second sensor at site 114.24.2 9.09.0 R Storm Surge Data from Hurricane Rita - - Site: LA9b Storm Surge Data from Hurricane Rita - - Site: LC8a A 16.016.0 115.05.0 Third sensor at site I 16.016.0 115.05.0 C N

8.0 15.0 8.0 Lowest recordable elevation, feet 15.0 15.0

P 15.0 E 114.04.0 14.8 T 14.8

Tape down NAVD 1988, feet R 114.84.8 14.0 V T 14.0 7.07.0 14.014.0 E E E E O

E 13.013.0 F

S 13.0

B 13.0 14.6 F 14.6

6.0 6.0 114.64.6 , S 13.8

13.8 B

, 12.0 A A 8 12.0

12.0 8

U 12.0 A 8 High water mark R 8 9 N

5.0 R 11.0 O 5.0 R 11.0 114.44.4 9 1111.0.0 High water mark 14.4 1 O 14.4 1 M O E

D 10.0 M 10.0

1 113.63.6 E D 4.0 , 10.0 V T 4.0 10.0

E T

V 14.2

P 14.2 A 9.0 T

9.0 R A 14.2 A 9.0 14.2 N S 9.0 R I 3.0 V N

23.0 C 8.0 I I E 8.0 C

E 113.43.4 E 8.0 14.0

8.0 P V 14.0

3 water-level sensors placed at different elevations V L

114.04.0 P 2.0 7.0 R 2.0 O 7.0 Barometric pressure, PSI O 7.0 R E 3 7.0 E track together during surge inundation B B E 6.06.0 Elevation above NAVD 1988, feet S A 113.83.8

1.0 S A 1.0 6.06.0 S 113.83.8 High water mark NAVD 1988, feet 113.23.2 N S 5.05.0 U N U O Lowest recordable elevation, feet 5.0 R 5.0 I 0.0 O R 0.0 I 13.6 13.6 E T 4.04.0 T E 113.63.6 , 4.0 A

4.0 P A , V -1.0 113.03.0 3.03.0

-1.0 P S V 3.03.0 E 113.43.4 S I E 2323 2424 2525 2626 2277 2828 2929 L 2.02.0

113.43.4 I L 2.0 Barometric pressure, PSI E

E 2.0 September, 2005 1.01.0 G SEPTEMBER 2005 Elevation above NAVD 1988, feet 113.23.2 1.01.0 High water mark NAVD 1988, feet 113.23.2 0.00.0 0.00.0 Lowest recordable elevation, feet -1.0-1.0 113.03.0 -1.0-1.0 113.03.0 2323 2424 2525 2626 2277 2828 2929 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 SEPTEMBERSeptember, 20 020055 Storm Surge Data from Hurricane Rita - - Site: LA2 I SEPTEMBERSeptember, 20 020055 J 16.015.0 115.05

15.014.0 E 114.84.8 Results 14.013.0

l T E 13.012.0 Hydrographs of storm-surge data (G, H, I, and J) depict water-levels before, during, and after landfall of Hurricane Rita. Based on sensor e E 114.64.6 B F data, maximum storm surge exceeded 14 feet above NAVD of 1988 at Constance Beach (LC11), Creole (LA12), and Grand Chenier (LA11),

A v 12.0

, 11.0

R Louisiana, about 20 miles, 48 miles, and 54 miles east of Sabine Pass, Texas (B). Water levels increased eastward from the Sabine River into a 8 8 1110.0.0 114.44.4 O southwest Louisiana. In general, the magnitude of the storm surge was greatest near the coast and decreased inland through the 9 t M 1

approximate latitude of Interstate-10. Riverine flows near Interstate-10 contributed to flooding at some locations (LA3). Sensors reported

10.0 E Barometric pressure, PSI

D 9.0

i T 14.2 water-level rises during the storm surge in excess of 3 feet per hour at many locations.

V 14.2 9.0 Elevation above NAVD 1988, feet R

o A

8.0 I

USGS stream gage 08012150, feet C N

n 8.0

P Interpolating water-level data between sensor 27 E 7.0 Lowest recordable elevation, feet 114.04

R 96 6 >13 49 V 7.0 Tape down NAVD 1988, feet locations and overlaying the results onto a digital

E 5 12 O 6.0 165 i S elevation model permits the visualization of the 4 11 B LOUISIANA LC2b 3 10 6.0 113.83.8 S A approximate extent of the flooded area and depths LA3

n 5.0 U TEXAS LC3 10 2 9 LC4

N 1 8 5.0 R of associated flood waters before, during, and after LC2a LA2 Lafayette 90 0 7 O E Beaumont Lake Charles

I 4.0 13.6 landfall. For example, on September 24, 2005, Orange 10 4.0 13.6 , Storm-surge depth (feet) T F B1 P B19b LC6b LA8 LA7 [September 24, 3 a.m.]

A 3 a.m., a flood wave (dark red area) is evident 3.0 14 e S LC5 167 V 3.0 I inland of the coast and along Louisiana Highway 82 B20 LC6a Abbeville LF3 E 113.43.4 B19a e 2.0 27 L 2.0 from sensor sites LC11, LC9, LC8A, LA12, and B10 27 t E Port 1.0 LA11(K). Arthur LC7 LC8b LF5 1.0 Water-level sensor (a) placed near USGS coastal-stream B12 a 113.23.2 LC12 LC9 Cameron gage (b) track together during surge inundation LC8a 0.00.0 B15b LC11 LA12 LA11 LA9b A description of the storm-surge network and Sabine LC13 82 LA9 b sensors, as well as the storm-surge data are Pass 82 LA10 Intracoastal -1.0-1.0 113.03 City 2323 2424 2255 2266 2277 2288 2299 available via the world-wide-web at Gulf of Mexico - Barometric-pressure sensor - Water-level sensor http://wwwrustla.er.usgs.gov/dataseries/dseries 0 5 10 20 Miles H SEPTEMBERSeptember, 20 020055 K - Co-located barometric and water-level sensor 101/index.asp. 0 5 10 20 Kilometers (9.4) - Maximum surge elevation (feet above NAVD88)

Prepared by Benton D. McGee, Burl Goree, Roland W. Tollett, Dean Gesch, Marge Davenport, and Robert R. Mason, Jr. of the U.S. Geological Survey