In the t path p h of t the s stor rm NAM ME:
DATE:
In this exerciise you will b be watching several storrm surge aniimations fro om hurricanee models as they aapproach the e Gulf coast.. You will se ee how storm m surge channges with co oastline shap pe and hurricane intensity. If you have aa hurricane o of the same strength and d speed headed towards the coastliine, the storm surge ccan be drastically differe ent dependin ng on the baathymetry off the ocean ((shape/deptth of the oceean ffloor) and the topograph hy of the coaast (shape/elevation of tthe land). Lo ook at the m map of the no orthern G Gulf of Mexico on the ne ext page. Be efore watching the hurriicane model animationss, you will neeed to kknow where these landm marks are loccated along the northerrn Gulf of Meexico. 1 1. When a hurricane maakes landfalll, this is the geographic location that the eye of the hurrican ne m moves onto land. The eyye wall of a hurricane is where the m most intensee wind speeds can be fo ound. Label the ese locationss in RED where our moddel storms w will make lan ndfall. □ Gulfport, MS
□ H Horn Island, M MS
□ Dauphiin Island, ALL
□ Petit Bios Island, M MS/AL
□ FFort Morgann Peninsula, A AL
2 2. Along the e coast, storm m surge is offten the greaatest threat from a hurrricane. Storm m surge is prroduced b by water being pushed toward the sshore by the force of thee winds rotatting within tthe hurricane. model hurricaanes Label the locations iin BLUE thaat could be aaffected by t he storm surge of the m □ □ New Orleaans, LA
□ Mobile, A AL
□ Pascagoula, MS
□ □ Biloxi, MS
□ Mississip ppi River
□ Mobilee‐Tensaw Deelta
□ □ Lake Ponch hartrain, LA
□ Mississip ppi River Deltta
□ Chandeeleur Islandss, LA
□ □ Cat Island, MS
□ Gulf of M Mexico
□ Mobilee Bay, AL
□ □ Gulf Shore es, AL
1 | P a g e Student Worksheet • Northern Gu ulf Coastal Hazards Collabooratory • Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Alab bama
In the t path p h of t the s stor rm
Label the map of f the northern Gulf off Mexico w with the loccations listted on pagge 1.
2 | P a g e Student Worksheet • Northern Gu ulf Coastal Hazards Collabooratory • Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Alab bama
In the t path p h of t the s stor rm 3 3. Look at th he map on page 2. Makke a hypothe esis about thhe landfall lo ocation (queestion 1) that will h have the mo ost severe an nd widespreaad storm surrge during a category 4 sstorm. Explain your hyp pothesis. 4 4. Look at the map on p page 2. The e Mississippi River Delta is a very low w‐lying area of the Gulf C Coast. M Make a hypo othesis abou ut the maxim mum storm surge elevati on in the Mississippi Rivver Delta wh hile a h hurricane paasses. How m might the sto orm surge elevation com mpare at this location co ompared to the landfall locattions? Explaain your answ wer. 5 5. Look at th he map on page 2. Makke a hypothe esis about thhe storm surrge elevation n of a hurricaane as it aapproaches tthe coastline e. Do you th hink storm surge will inccrease, decreease, or stayy the same? Explain yyour answer.
3 | P a g e Student Worksheet • Northern Gu ulf Coastal Hazards Collabooratory • Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Alab bama
In the t path p h of t the s stor rm N Now it is tim me to watch tthe animatio ons of storm surge as eaach of the hu urricane mod dels approacch land. TThere are fivve landfall lo ocations for our model storms: Gulffport, MS; Horn Island, M MS; Petit Bois Island, MS/AL; Dauph hin Island, AL; and Fort M Morgan Peninsula, AL. Each landfall location has model an nimations forr a weaker sstorm (Categgory 2‐3, app proximate su ustained winds of 11 10mph) and a stronger sttorm (category 4, approoximate wind ds around 14 45mph). The depth of the storm surge is m measured in n height abovve mean seaa level (MSL)) and shown n with a color code shown on tthe left of evvery video. A As you watch the animaation, you wiill see the sto orm progresss along the sttorm track line, and the color of the water changge as the sto orm surge deepth changees. There is a zoomed‐in m map and a zo oomed out m map for eac h model run n. Use the animation thaat best answerss each questtion. 6 6. Answer th he followingg questions w while watching the hurriicane storm surge modeel animations. Fill in tthe tables fo or each storm m surge mod del. If there w was no storm m surge in a g given locatioon, fill in the box with [0 feet]. LLANDFALL LO OCATION
Gulfporrt, MS
M Maximum sttorm surge d depth in M Mobile‐Tensaw Delta, ALL M Maximum sttorm surge d depth in tthe Mississip ppi River Delta
Categoryy 2‐3 Hurriicane
Category 4 Hurriccane
W Which Gulf Coaast city had the e highest ssurge elevation ns? How high?
M Maximum sttorm surge d depth at G Gulfport, MSS
M Maximum sttorm surge d depth in M Mobile‐Tensaw Delta, ALL M Maximum sttorm surge d depth in tthe Mississip ppi River Delta
Categoryy 2‐3 Hurriicane
Category 4 Hurriccane
W Which Gulf Coaast city had the e highest ssurge elevation ns? How high?
M Maximum sttorm surge d depth at H Horn Island, MS
LLANDFALL LO OCATION
Horn Issland, M MS
4 | P a g e Student Worksheet • Northern Gu ulf Coastal Hazards Collabooratory • Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Alab bama
In the t path p h of t the s stor rm 6 6. (continued d) Answer the followingg questions w while watch ing the hurrricane storm surge modeel aanimations. Fill in the taables for eacch storm surgge model. If there w was no storm m surge in a g given locatioon, fill in the box with [0 feet].
LLANDFALL LO OCATION
Petit Bo ois, MS/AL
M Maximum sttorm surge d depth in M Mobile‐Tensaw Delta, ALL M Maximum sttorm surge d depth in tthe Mississip ppi River Delta
Categoryy 2‐3 Hurriicane
Category 4 Hurriccane
W Which Gulf Coaast location had the h highest surge e elevations? How w high?
M Maximum sttorm surge d depth at P Petit Bois, M MS/AL
LLANDFALL LO OCATION
Dauphiin Island d, AL
M Maximum sttorm surge d depth in M Mobile‐Tensaw Delta, ALL M Maximum sttorm surge d depth in tthe Mississip ppi River Delta
Categoryy 2‐3 Hurriicane
Category 4 Hurriccane
W Which Gulf Coaast location had the h highest surge e elevations? How w high?
M Maximum sttorm surge d depth at D Dauphin Island, AL
Categoryy 2‐3 Hurriicane
Category 4 Hurriccane
M Maximum sttorm surge d depth in M Mobile‐Tensaw Delta, ALL M Maximum sttorm surge d depth in tthe Mississip ppi River Delta
W Which Gulf Coaast city had the e highest ssurge elevation ns? How high?
M Maximum sttorm surge d depth at FFort Morgan, AL
LLANDFALL LO OCATION
FFort Mo organ, A AL
5 | P a g e Student Worksheet • Northern Gu ulf Coastal Hazards Collabooratory • Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Alab bama
In the t path p h of t the s stor rm 7 7. Which lan ndfall locatio on appeared to have the e most severre storm surgge during a category 4 m model h hurricane? H How did thiss compare w with your hyp pothesis in qquestion 3?
8 8. Find Mob bile Bay and tthe Mobile‐TTensaw Deltta, Alabama in the animations and rreview the taables in q question 5.
Whicch landfall location(s) had the stronggest storm suurge in Mob bile‐Tensaw D Delta area?
Did th he path of th his storm paass through M Mobile Bay?? Why do you thinkk this landfall location(s) had the greeatest impacct on storm surge in Mo obile Bay? When n does the m maximum surge occur? (before landffall, during landfall, afteer landfall) Wherre in the bayy does maxim mum storm surge occur?? Why do you thinkk the highesst surge occu urs primarilyy in this locattion? Explain your answ wer. he prediction ns of these m models, whicch side of th e storm wou uld be more intense, thee eastern 9. From th side or the western sid de? Why wo ould this be?? Explain youur answer using what yo ou know abo out hurricanes.
6 | P a g e Student Worksheet • Northern Gu ulf Coastal Hazards Collabooratory • Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Alab bama
In the t path p h of t the s stor rm 10. Look at your hypotthesis in que estion 4. We ere you corrrect about th he Mississipp pi River Deltta and storm surgge? Why or w why not? Did the animaations surpriise you? 1 11. Look at yyour hypoth hesis in questtion 5. Were you correcct? Why or w why not? W What happened to tthe model sttorm surge aas the storms traveled th hrough the G Gulf of Mexico? 1 12. Watch o one of the caategory 4 hurricane anim mations. How w do the barrier islands affect storm m surge aas a hurrican ne approaches shore? 1 13. How do models of sttorm surge aand hurrican nes benefit sscientific ressearch?
7 | P a g e Student Worksheet • Northern Gu ulf Coastal Hazards Collabooratory • Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Alab bama
