Updated Guidelines for Storm Tide Flood Mapping

Thomson M1, Rodger D1

1JBPacific

Abstract:

In 2020 the Queensland Government’s Innovation and Improvement Fund sponsored a review of storm tide mapping techniques and their use by coastal planners. This review identified challenges in interpreting wave runup, setup, and freeboard levels dependent on distance from the coast and proximity to vegetation. An international review was undertaken of new methods for mapping storm tide, including wave effects, coastal vegetation and defenses. A how-to guide has been produced from these methods that can be used by Queensland coastal councils, and an LGA-wide pilot study undertaken for the Douglas Shire Council. This presentation demonstrates the new coastal mapping framework and addresses several questions: 1) How can this new framework be used to produce a single flood value for coastal planners? 2) How does this compare to the conventional “bathtub” method. 3) How can the new approach be used to improve community resilience to coastal flooding?


Biography:

Michael is a graduate coastal engineer and modeler currently working in statistical analysis and coastal processes to model coastal geomorphologic and hydrodynamic design conditions. Michael’s current area of interest is developing nature-based engineering strategies for coastal protection.