Visualizing Flood Vulnerability: Insights from the Lower James River

by Paul Chilton, PhD 

Authors:
Paul Chilton, PhD:
Senior Staff Water Resources Engineer, Streamline Technologies Inc., 1135 Est State Road 434, Suite 3002, Winter Springs, FL 32708

Publication Date:
Wednesday, June 26th, 2024

Source:
Streamline Technologies, Inc.

Abstract:
In the face of shifting climate patterns, coastal communities encounter increasingly intricate flooding challenges, notably compound flooding resulting from multiple water sources interacting.

This paper explores the implications of compound flooding, particularly in the James River Basin, leveraging Streamline Technologies' innovative hydrologic and hydraulic modeling software, StormWise™.

By integrating various data sources such as land use, soil data, and precipitation, StormWise™ facilitates the analysis of flood dynamics. Our study compares the impact of Hurricane Hermine in 2004 and 2021, focusing on land-use changes, with results showing a reduction in both surface and vadose zone storage over time, thus exacerbating flooding potential.

Visualizations of flooding extents highlight the consequences of diminished storage capacity, thus aiding planners and policymakers in devising effective mitigation strategies. This research underscores the importance of modeling past events to anticipate future flood scenarios and emphasizes the utility of numerical models such as StormWise™ in comprehensive flood management.

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Visualizing Flood Vulnerability: Insights from the Lower James River