1. Field observations of Hurricane Ian's wave and surge impact in the areas of Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island, USA.
- Author
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McCann, M., Ebrahimi, B., Cinar, G.E., Renteria, W., Stehno, A., Lynett, P., and Kaihatu, J.
- Subjects
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STORM surges , *BARRIER islands , *HURRICANES , *WAVELETS (Mathematics) , *ISLANDS , *LANDFALL - Abstract
On September 18, Category 4 Hurricane Ian made landfall near Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island, two barrier islands on the northern Gulf of Mexico. In this paper, we present a novel set of observations from a post-event High Water Mark field survey as well as wavelet analysis of in-situ wave data. We also present a qualitative overview of some erosive effects and infrastructure damage. Measured peak surge elevations exceed 5 m, and wave plus surge elevations exceed 6.0 m (NAVD88). High Water Mark observations are consistent within the expected range produced by numerical hindcast models. A wavelet analysis, from one of the few wave records available during the storm, demonstrates the presence of long-period basin mode waves at a 40-min period. The 40-min wave appeared on the wave record before the storm surge, and the peak of this motion also occurred before the peak of the surge. In addition, the wavelet analysis reveals the presence of infragravity wave energy (periods between 30 s and 20 min). Together, these intermediate and long-period waves add over 40 cm to the total water level at peak energy. The measured field data shows a rapidly decreasing surge elevation within the first 300 m from the pre-storm shoreline, and we observe no statistically meaningful attenuation difference between the highly developed shoreline of Fort Myers and the more vegetated shoreline of Sanibel Island. However, the structural survey team observed more infrastructure damage in Fort Myers than Sanibel Island. • On September 28, 2022 Hurricane Ian made landfall in Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island, Florida, USA. • Post-storm, our field survey team observed High Water Mark (HWM) and wave impacts in these areas. • Wavelet analysis reveals a peak in energy near a 40-min period that arrived before the main surge. • Long-period motions have the potential to add at least 40 cm to the quasi-steady surge. • Field observations reveal a rapid decrease in wave impact observations in the first 300 m from the shoreline in both study sites. • Sanibel, more vegetated, and Fort Myers, more developed, showed no statistically meaningful difference in surge attenuation. • However, Fort Myers experienced higher infrastructure damage than Sanibel Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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