RAPID: Mobile Infrastructure for Monitoring, Modeling, and Forecasting of Coastal Weather Events

Coastal Carolina University, Conway SC

Investigators

Abstract

Tropical storms are among the most destructive natural phenomenon on the planet. Each year, these storms pose a threat to the Atlantic Coast. The dangers of high winds and storm-induced sea level rise are widely recognized, but these storms can also result in inland flooding. Historically, inland flooding is responsible for the majority of deaths attributed to tropical storms in the US. Existing methods do not provide accurate forecasts of inland flooding patterns. This project will improve these forecasts through a computational framework that relies on key measurements collected from mobile sensing arrays deployed in advance of incoming storms. The project will develop a computational framework to simulate inland lateral flooding processes. Collection and calibration of the key hydrologic variables, both in baseline, and in advance of future storms, is critical. The project will focus on surface water velocity measurements near key population locales, particularly as the river basins transition from storage modes to discharge modes ? resulting from the recent passage of Hurricane Matthew. Data collection will be achieved through mobile sensing arrays, comprising photogrammetry drones, GPS drifters, and a new drifter-based technology for acquiring fine-grained surface water velocity measurements. The Atlantic coast is threatened by approximately ten tropical storms per year, with more than half becoming hurricanes. The impacts can be catastrophic, resulting in loss of life and damage to property and infrastructure. Hurricane Matthew, widely viewed as a near miss, resulted in more than 40 deaths in the US, and damage to more than 100,000 homes ? most attributed to inland flooding. This project will result in improved forecasting infrastructure for inland flooding, enabling local and state governments and emergency management teams to more effectively plan and respond to tropical storms.