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News — Woods Hole, Mass. (Nov. 14, 2024) -- A joint team from the Nearshore Extreme Events Reconnaissance (NEER) Association and the Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) Association, including researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), recently mobilized to investigate the real-time impacts of storm surges and waves from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Before, during, and after the storms, the team collected measurements and observations of surge, waves, and sediment erosion and deposition, as well as debris transport and accumulation in the nearshore and coastal environments from central to northern sections of the west coast of Florida, with focus areas in Cedar Key and Horseshoe Beach.

The findings are expected to improve understanding, prediction, and mitigation of inundation and erosion during severe tropical storm events due to storm surge and wave action. These events are unique for the fact that pre- and during-storm data was collected during a category 4 wind event with a 4-meter (13-foot) storm surge. Data will be shared through NSF’s Natural Hazard Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) and with local communities and parties of interest to increase awareness and understanding of risk assessments.

Dr. Britt Raubenheimer, senior scientist, Applied Ocean Physics & Engineering, is the NEER founder and director and has been remotely supporting the team, composed of natural hazards researchers and practitioners from the coastal and geotechnical engineering communities.

The Big Bend coast of Florida was recently affected by a series of tropical storm events, including Hurricane Idalia (Cat. 3; Sept 2023), Hurricane Debbie (Cat. 1; July 2024), Hurricane Helene (Cat 4; Sept 2024), and Hurricane Milton (Cat. 3, Oct 2024). Hurricane Helene stood out for its rapid intensification just prior to landfall, limited warning and preparation time for residents, as well as the storm’s inland reach and impact.

The NEER team collected detailed data quantifying storm surge and wave heights throughout Hurricane Helene’s approach and landfall, as well as detailed topographic and aerial imagery data of the areas of Cedar Key, Suwannee, Shired Island, and Horseshoe Beach, Florida on the day before and soon after landfall. Data was also collected throughout Hurricane Milton and was unique for its diversity of methods, detail, and comprehensiveness in providing insight into the impacts of tropical cyclones on coastal communities. The data include measurements spanning natural mangrove, dune, and tidal flat systems, as well as rubble mound and seawall features, and will help researchers and coastal managers understand the benefits, drawbacks, and unintended consequences of “green” and “gray” coastal protection methods. Preliminary comparisons of observations during Hurricane Idalia and Helene suggest that impacts to infrastructure and natural systems from large storms are greater than would be expected from the impacts of smaller events.

Furthermore, Hurricane Helene is the first storm during which both oceanographic and meteorological data were collected simultaneously at the shoreline, allowing direct evaluation of water versus wind impacts. The results will also contribute to improved risk assessments and impact predictions of tropical cyclones on coastal communities. For example, several destructive barrier island breaches occurred during Hurricane Milton and continued data collection will help inform the causes of these breaches. This data will be used by scientists and communities to better understand and improve predictions of hurricane impacts.

The research is open source and posted on the NEER and GEER websites and through https://www.designsafe-ci.org/.

Additional information on NEER and GEER is available at: https://neerassociation.org/ and http://www.geerassociation.org/

Support for this work was provided by The National Science Foundation.

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A full list of NEER and GEER participants can be found here:

Dr. Nina Stark, University of Florida (UF)

Dr. Michael Gardner, University of California (UC) Davis

Dr. Maitane Olabarrieta (UF)

Dr. Armando Laurel-Castillo (UF)

Dr. Jonathan Hubler (Villanova University)

Dr. Weiwei Zhan (University of Central Florida)

Dr. Celso Castro-Bolinaga (NC State University)

Mr. Michael Haefeli (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

Dr. Alexandra Schueller (University of Delaware)

Dr. Youssef Hashash (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

University of Washington Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) RAPID technical staff

NEER director Dr. Britt Raubenheimer (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution),

GEER director Dr. David Frost (Georgia Tech), and

Dr. Navid Jafari (Louisiana State University).

About Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930, its primary mission is to understand the ocean and its interaction with the Earth as a whole and to communicate an understanding of the ocean’s role in the changing global environment. WHOI’s pioneering discoveries stem from an ideal combination of science and engineering—one that has made it one of the most trusted and technically advanced leaders in basic and applied ocean research and exploration anywhere. WHOI is known for its multidisciplinary approach, superior ship operations, and unparalleled deep-sea robotics capabilities. We play a leading role in ocean observation and operate the most extensive suite of data-gathering platforms in the world. Top scientists, engineers, and students collaborate on more than 800 concurrent projects worldwide—both above and below the waves—pushing the boundaries of knowledge and possibility. For more information, please visit www.whoi.edu