Extended Abstract (3.3M)P1.1
Localized coastal flooding along Florida's west coast
Charles H. Paxton, NOAA/NWS, Ruskin, FL; and D. A. Sobien and J. C. McMichael
An early January 1999 squall line moved eastward across the Gulf of Mexico and onto the western shores of Florida producing localized coastal flooding. A radar feature known as a "Bow Echo" developed as the squall line approached the coast just north of Tampa Bay. Bow echoes are features that develop over several hours and usually produce a localized area of sustained strong winds for a period of several hours. This bow echo produced an area of 30 ms-1 winds over the shallow Gulf shelf waters producing a localized surge of 2 m above astronomical tide. This surge flooded over 350 homes causing around $2.5M in damage. This study looks at: 1)the pre surge setup, 2)the particular characteristics of the bow echo including maximum wind direction and speed areas, and 3)the wind and water forcing. From these relationships, coastal flooding algorithms are derived and incorporated into "Smart Tools" for use in the new National Weather Service Graphical Forecast Editor.
Poster Session 1, Posters (Plese note this session has changed to an Oral Session)
Thursday, 8 November 2001, 4:45 PM-6:00 PM
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