Simulation of storm-induced barrier island morphodynamics and flooding

Prediction of coupled storm hydrodynamics and morphodynamics is essential for accurately designing coastal flood protection measures. A numerical simulation methodology was developed and implemented to evaluate and assess engineering design solutions for storm damage reduction along the south shore of Long Island, New York, USA. This simulation methodology was applied to compute bay water levels for two major coastal storms taking into account contributions from storm surge, waves, wind, and barrier island overwash and breaching. Simulation results for breaching and bay flooding compare well to historically documented barrier island morphological change and bay high water marks.