Storm Surge Barrier: Overview and Design Considerations

In this study an overview of existing and planned storm surge barriers in the world is provided. A systematic analysis relates functional requirements (e.g. navigation and tidal exchange) to the main barrier characteristics (e.g. gate type, dimensions). Furthermore, as the costs of barriers are an important issue in the planning, available cost...

Reconnaissance Level Studies on a Storm Surge Barrier for Flood Risk Reduction in the Houston-Galveston Bay

The Houston - Galveston area is at significant risk from hurricane induced storm surges. This paper summarizes ongoing studies on flood risk reduction for the region. Firstly, based on a simplified probabilistic hurricane surge model , the return periods of surges within the bay have been estimated. This model framework can be used to assess the...

An Idealized Meteorological-Hydrodynamic Model for Exploring Extreme Storm Surge Statistics in the North Sea

This paper explores an alternative method to determine extreme surge levels at the Dutch Coast. For this exploration, specific focus is on the extreme water level at Hoek van Holland, The Netherlands. The alternative method has been based on a joint probability model of the storm characteristics at the North Sea. The intent of this method is to...

Climate Change Adaptation in Tokyo Bay: The Case for a Storm Surge Barrier

Increases in typhoon intensity and sea level rise could pose significant challenges to coastal defences around Tokyo Bay. In order to analyse the extent of future problems the authors determined the increase storm surge that could result from an increase in typhoon intensity and sea level rise to this area around the turn of the 21st century....

Highlights of Dutch and US coastal graduation projects in the Mississippi Delta after Hurricane Katrina

Risk to life due to flooding in Post-Katrina New Orleans

After the catastrophic flooding of New Orleans due to hurricane Katrina in the year 2005, the city’s hurricane protection system has been improved to provide protection against storms with at least a 100 year return period. The aim of this article is to investigate the risk to life in the post-Katrina situation for the New Orleans metro bowl. In...

Reconnaissance level study Mississippi storm surge barrier

This paper reports a reconnaissance level study of a storm surge barrier in the Mississippi River. Historical hurricanes have shown storm surge of several meters along the Mississippi River levees up to and upstream of New Orleans. Future changes due to sea level rise and subsidence will further increase the risk of flooding due to hurricane...

Coastal adaptation to climate change: A case study in Durban, South Africa

Recent research done the IPCC (2007) working groups and other organizations has sparked global concern over the possible impacts of climate change and corresponding sea level rise (SLR) upon coastal communities. In reaction studies were done (for example by Nicholls et al., 2008) to assess the vulnerability of coastal regions and get an...