Characteristics of river flood and storm surge interactions in a tidal river in Rhode Island, USA

During a hurricane event, heavy rainfall can cause storm runoff and river flood. In tidal rivers, hurricane induced storm surge can increase the river downstream boundary water levels. The interactions of storm-induced rainfall runoff and storm surge in tidal rivers may cause more severe flood during hurricane events. In this study, hydrodynamic model simulations were conducted to characterize the interactions of rainfall runoff and storm surge in a tidal river in Rhode Island, USA. River floods under scenarios with and without storm surge were compared.