Hurricane Irene Storm Tide Simulation for Chesapeake Bay

This computer simulation—generated by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science—shows a 30-hour forecast of storm-tide water levels during the passage of Hurricane Irene past the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. The simulation begins on Saturday, August 27th, 2011 at 12:00 hours Greenwich Mean Time (8 am local time in Gloucester Point, Virginia). Water levels are shown in 0.1-meter increments. Storm tide is calculated by adding the predicted astronomical tide to the bulge in water level caused by the storm (i.e., the storm surge). Preliminary data from the Tidewatch network at VIMS show the maximum storm tide recorded in Chesapeake Bay was 4.4 feet above highest astronomical tide, at Money Point on the southern Branch of the Elizabeth River.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Hurricane Irene
• storm tide
• computer simulation
• Chesapeake Bay
• SLOSH
• storm surge
• supercomputing