Monitoring the Storm Tide of Hurricane Wilma in Southwestern Florida, October 2005 Introduction Hurricane Wilma Storm Tide Data Residents in the southeastern United States were still recovering Abstract Measurable storm tide occurred at all temporary stations from Captiva Island south to Everglades City (figs. 6 and 7). Storm from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita when Hurricane Wilma appeared, the tide was also detected at all USGS real-time coastal monitoring stations in southwestern Everglades National Park and third category 5 storm of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season and, at its Temporary monitoring stations employing nonvented pressure transducers were used to augment an existing U.S. Geological northeastern Florida Bay (fig. 8). A storm tide of about 1 ft was observed at the northernmost stations in the Caloosahatchee River peak, the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic Survey coastal monitoring network to document the inland water levels related to the storm tide of Hurricane Wilma on the and Estero Bay. A storm tide of 1.5 to 2.0 ft was observed at bridges along Highway U.S. 41 over tributaries to Estero Bay. The Basin (fig. 1). The intensity of Wilma was reduced considerably by its highest storm tide occurred at stations directly south of Marco Island (where Hurricane Wilma made landfall), with a maximum travel over the Yucatán Peninsula on October 21-22, 2005, but southwestern coast of Florida. On October 22, 2005, an experimental network consisting of 30 temporary stations was deployed storm tide of 5.67 ± 0.5 ft above NAVD 88 recorded at Everglades City (WS_30). Storm tide was 4 to 5 ft at major coastal rivers reintensified into a category 3 storm as it moved into the Gulf of over 90 miles of coastline to record the magnitude, extent, and timing of hurricane storm tide and coastal flooding. Sensors were along the southwestern coast of Everglades National Park, decreasing to 1 to 2 ft above NAVD 88 as the storm tide traveled Mexico and approached Florida. Maximum sustained winds increased inland. Storm tide of about 3 ft was measured along the coastal creeks of northeastern Florida Bay. to 115 mi per hour and hurricane-force winds extended outward 85 mi programmed to record time, temperature, and barometric or water pressure. Water pressure was adjusted for changes in from the center (Pasch and others, 2006). A storm surge of 9 to 17 ft barometric pressure and salinity, and then converted to feet of water above the sensor. Elevation surveys using optical levels 6 5 8 8 8 above normal tide levels was predicted for the southwestern coast of 8 EXPLANATION EXPLANATION D D were conducted to reference storm tide water-level data and high-water marks to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 V Florida and areas south of the projected storm path. WS_16 COCONUT POINT V 4 CHATHAM RIVER A 5 A N N MCCORMICK CREEK WS_19 IMPERIAL RIVER O O SHARK RIVER T (NAVD 88). Storm tide water levels more than 5 feet above NAVD 88 were recorded by sensors at several locations along the T On October 20, 2005, a team from the U.S. Geological Survey WS_30 EVERGLADES CITY E E 3 V V I 4 I (USGS) in Ruston, Louisiana, was dispatched to Fort Myers, Florida, T T A southwestern Florida coast. Temporary storm tide monitoring stations used for this effort have demonstrated their value in: (1) A L L E with enough pressure transducers (sensors) and housings to establish 30 0 500 1,000 MILES E 2 R R T 3 T 0 500 1,000 KILOMETERS Lake E temporary stations along the southwestern Florida coast where landfall furthering the understanding of storm tide by allowing the U.S. Geological Survey to extend the scope of data collection beyond E E Okeechobee E F F STUDY AREA 1 N N was expected. Prior to team arrival, USGS employees in Fort Myers I I , that of existing networks, and (2) serving as backup data collection at existing monitoring stations by utilizing nearby structures , Florida Bay N 2 N determined deployment locations for these stations based on preexisting O O I I T T 0 A that are more likely to survive a major hurricane. A structures, such as dock and bridge pilings. The monitored area V Figure 1. Path of Hurricane Wilma during October 2005 (modified from Pasch V E E L 1 L E E and others, 2006). Filled and open circles represent the approximate eye extended from Boca Grande Pass, at the entrance to Charlotte Harbor, -1 E E D D I position of Hurricane Wilma, respectively, at midnight and noon UTC I south to Everglades City at the northern edge of Everglades National T T 82°00´ 81°30´ 81°00´ 80°30´ 82°00´ 81°30´ 81°00´ 80°30´ (Coordinated Universal Time) on the dates shown. Local time (Eastern Daylight M 0 M R -2 Park. An existing USGS real-time coastal hydrologic monitoring DESOTO DESOTO MARTIN R O Time) is UTC time minus 4 hours. SARASOTA HIGHLANDS MARTIN SARASOTA 41 HIGHLANDS O T 17 COUNTY COUNTY COUNTY COUNTY T COUNTY COUNTY S network extends from Everglades City south into Florida Bay and, COUNTY COUNTY S therefore, was already in place to monitor storm tide in that region (fig. 27°00´ 27°00´ -1 -3 31 Lake 31 Lake 10/23/2005 10/23/2005 10/24/2005 10/24/2005 10/25/2005 10/25/2005 10/26/2005 10/26/2005 10/27/2005 10/21/2005 10/22/2005 10/23/2005 10/24/2005 10/25/2005 10/26/2005 10/27/2005 10/28/2005 10/29/2005 10/30/2005 10/31/2005 WS_3 74 74 0:00 12:00 0:00 12:00 0:00 12:00 0:00 12:00 0:00 0:00 0:00 0:00 0:00 0:00 0:00 0:00 0:00 0:00 0:00 0:00 2). Where possible, sites were positioned to create a transect from the WS_2 Okeechobee Okeechobee GLADES <0.4 GLADES DATE AND TIME DATE AND TIME coast to interior estuarine bays and rivers. CHARLOTTE COUNTY CHARLOTTE COUNTY Figure 7. Hurricane Wilma storm tide elevations at selected temporary stations. Figure 8. Hurricane Wilma storm tide elevations at selected real-time stations in Everglades r COUNTY r COUNTY o o b b All temporary stations were installed by October 22, 2005. Less than 48 hours later the hurricane made landfall r r 78 National Park. a 78 a 75 H 75 Boca H WS_4 Boca south of Marco Island, where the magnitude, extent, and timing of the storm tide were recorded by the sensors. e Grande tte Grande tt lo 41 lo 41 12 r River ar <0.4 River Pass ha WS_6 Pass h The temporary stations used for this effort and for Hurricane Rita have allowed the USGS to (1) extend the scope of C HENDRY C HENDRY WS_1 <0.4 8 The maximum recorded water levels occurred at N. LEE LEE 8 Fort COUNTY Fort COUNTY data collection beyond that of existing networks, and (2) backup data collection at existing monitoring stations by WS_7 COUNTY 29 1.02 COUNTY 29 D Myers Myers V Estero River, Spring Creek, and Imperial River (fig. 6). These WS_10 A 10 utilizing nearby structures that are more likely to survive a major hurricane, such as bridge pilings. Data from this N Captiva permanent stations are located on tributaries to Estero Bay Captiva O WS_9 T monitoring effort, conducted under severe conditions, can be used to improve the current understanding and Island PALM BEACH Island 1.63 PALM BEACH WS_14 E upstream from tidal effects under normal conditions. The COUNTY COUNTY V WS_8 2.35 I 8 prediction of storm tide. 26°30´ WS_17 26°30´ 0.74 1.57 T 82 0.97 82 A magnitude of the water levels observed was influenced by the L N Estero 11.34 E WS_11 R S Estero 1.01 5.70 elevation of the streams at that point. Water levels increased WS_13 846 846 T Estero Imperial E Spring Estero 0.38 10/24/2005 E 6 Bay 10/24/2005 F sharply at all three stations (fig. 9), with the smallest increase 8.52 WS_15 Bay 0.97 08:00 EST N 08:00 EST I WS_16 9.03 Purpose and Scope 29 1.58 29 , of 2.79 ft occurring at Spring Creek and the greatest increase WS_18 1.90 2.44 N WS_21 O This report documents the procedures used to collect storm WS_19 I 4 T EXPLANATION of 4.64 ft occurring at N. Estero River. Water levels in these 27 1.97 27 A WS_20 V N. BRANCH ESTERO tide data for Hurricane Wilma in southwestern Florida. Storm E streams increase rapidly during significant rain events, as G G L S. BRANCH ESTERO E Naples Naples U tide elevation data are presented for the 23 of 30 stations where U 10/24/2005 75 10/24/2005 75 R 2 SPRING CREEK occurred during the passing of Hurricane Wilma. The WS_23 E L 06:00 EST L 5.84 06:00 EST T IMPERIAL RIVER 2.20 A storm tide was observed (arbitrary water-level data from the F F maximum water levels are likely more a function of flooding WS_22 BROWARD W O COLLIER BROWARD O COLLIER remaining 7 stations is made available but is not discussed). Data WS_25 COUNTY 2.19 2.18 COUNTY COUNTY and stream elevations than storm tide.