Coastal Hazards of Puerto Rico

STORM SURGE FLOOD MAPPING WITHOUT WAVE RUNUP AND OVERTIPPING

The following list contains links to the storm surge maps, the SuperMOM version (MOM of the MOMs). In this version the maximum elevation is given at each computational cell irrespective of the specific trajectory, or trajectories that created it. The storm surge maps were made using both ADCIRC+SWAN, while the Significant Wave Height (Hs) maps were made using SWAN. Data is available for each individual trajectory, but it is not in kmz format yet. The same for the Significant Wave Period, Ts.

For further details please see the study report titled “Storm_Surge_Modeling_in_Puerto_Rico_in_Support_of_Emergency_Response-V10.pdf”.

NOTE: In the name assigned to each link the following holds.

The first 4 characters specify the hurricane category.
The numbers 0_0, 0_5, and 1_0, specify a sea level rise (SLR) of 0.0, 0.5, and 1.0 m above present.
The three characters “LWD” specify that this is a map showing only contours of the storm surge inland flooding, and the contour labels (and painted areas) show the flood depth (in meters) relative to the local terrain elevation.
The string “StormSurge” specifies that this map shows contours of the storm surge elevation (both inland and over sea – in meters) relative to Mean Sea Level.
The string “Hs” specifies that this map shows contours of the Significant Wave Height (Hs), in meters, based on the SWAN spectral wave model.

IMPORTANT:

These maps are in the kmz format. You need Google Earth to use them. They are heavy, so it will take a while to download, or show on Google Earth.
These maps show the potential worst case for each coastal location in the island. If the actual hurricane doesn’t pass through the critical trajectory for that location, the storm surge values in the map will overestimate the elevations actually observed, or measured.
The maps show stillwater elevations of flooding due to seawater (flooding due to rain is not included). Wave action is not included (wave runup and overtopping), and this effect can increase a lot the floodable areas. We are working right now in order to add runup/overtopping. But it will take some months.
If using Chrome to look at the maps, when double clicking on the map link it will open a new window asking where to download the kmz. Once it is downloaded into your computer, then you can drag and drop into Google Earth. Or use Open in GE to show where the maps is stored.
If using Internet Explorer, when you click on the map link (still residing on the web site) it will ask you if you want to open it as a layer in Google Earth, or to download it to your computer.

MZ Contours Map for: Category 1: Elevations 0m, 0.5m & 1.0

Cat1_SLR_0_0_Lon_Lat_LWD_contours_png.kmz

Cat1_SLR_0_5_Lon_Lat_LWD_contours_png.kmz

Cat1_SLR_1_0_Lon_Lat_LWD_contours_png.kmz

Cat1_SLR_0_0_Lon_Lat_StormSurge_contours_png.kmz

Cat1_SLR_0_5_Lon_Lat_StormSurge_contours_png.kmz

Cat1_SLR_1_0_Lon_Lat_StormSurge_contours_png.kmz

Cat1_SLR_0_0_Lon_Lat_Hs_contours_png.kmz

Cat1_SLR_0_5_Lon_Lat_Hs_contours_png.kmz

Cat1_SLR_1_0_Lon_Lat_Hs_contours_png.kmz

KMZ Contours Map for: Category 2: Elevations 0m, 0.5m & 1.0

Cat2_SLR_0_0_Lon_Lat_LWD_contours_png.kmz