NEWS RELEASES
USGS Prepares For Storm Surges With Tide Sensors
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through USGS's website.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports on their hurricane response crews installing storm-tide sensors at key locations along the North and South Carolina coasts in advance of Hurricane Florence. Under a mission assignment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the USGS plans to deploy about 160 sensors and is consulting with federal and state partners about the need for similar equipment for other areas along the mid-Atlantic coast.
According to the press release, the sensors being installed to measure Hurricane Florence’s storm tide. They are housed in vented steel pipes a few inches wide and about a foot long. They are being installed on bridges, piers, and other structures that have a good chance of surviving the storm. "Storm surge is among the most dangerous natural hazards unleashed by hurricanes, with the capacity to destroy homes and businesses, wipe out roads, bridges, water and sewer systems, and profoundly alter coastal landscapes. The USGS has experts on these hazards, state-of-the-science computer models for forecasting coastal change, and sophisticated equipment for monitoring actual flood and tide conditions," explains the U.S. Geological Survey. In addition to storm-tide sensors, 25 rapid deployment gauges are being installed at critical locations that may be impacted by storm surge or floodwaters, but where the USGS does not have permanent streamgages. The USGS is coordinating with the National Weather Service, FEMA, and state and local agencies to put the rapid deployment gauges in places with the greatest need.
For more information or for those who are in the storm's path and want additional info, they can visit Ready.gov.