Beginning annually on June 1, hurricane season poses a major threat to Texas coastal communities, causing both physical and financial damage to the areas they hit.
Beginning annually on June 1, hurricane season poses a major threat to Texas coastal communities, causing both physical and financial damage to the areas they hit. This damage can be staggering; when Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017, it cost Galveston $132.73 billion in damages. Texas A&M University researchers have collaborated to understand the impacts of storm surge floods before they occur to potentially reduce the level of damage. Their study was published in “Urban Informatics.”
The researchers have implemented 3D visualization technology to identify the potential outcomes of hurricane flooding before it occurs. According to researchers, severe weather has been increasing over the last several years due to global climate change. If severe storms and flooding continue to increase in the future, implementing 3D visualization based on real-time weather forecasts could result in improved safety and less damage-inflicted costs.
The 3D modeling technique also allows researchers to examine the effects of damage-preventing infrastructure, such as the proposed Galveston “Ike Dike,” a dike designed to shield Galveston Island from future storm surge and flood events.
Read more at: Texas A&M University
Damage to Galveston Island in the wake of Hurricane Ike. (Photo Credit: Texas A&M University at Galveston)
