Storm Surge Flooding Compounded with Extreme Temperatures in Tampa Bay

Description

Coastal communities like Tampa Bay, Florida, are exposed to multiple natural hazards, including extreme high temperatures and hurricane-related impacts such as wind, storm surge, and precipitation. The seasonality of hurricanes and high temperatures increase the chances of compound flooding-heat events, which can produce greater impacts than either hazard alone. In the future, rising global temperatures and sea levels will further increase the likelihood of these flooding-heat compound events. Nature-based solutions can help reduce the impact of these two hazards, as green spaces lower temperatures, increase infiltration rates, and enhance surface friction, effectively reducing flood propagation and depth. Here, we investigate how nature-based solutions can improve the resilience of coastal communities along Tampa Bay. To do so, we simulate storm surge flooding under different what-if scenarios that include the implementation of nature-based solutions. Nature-based solutions are simulated through different friction coefficients in a flooding model. Flooding maps are overlaid with extreme heat wave data from satellite data to characterize compound hazards at the local scale. Results identify hotspots for flooding and heat risk across Tampa Bay, quantifying the increase in flood depth under various sea rise scenarios, and pinpoint optimal locations for nature-based interventions that reduce compound flood and heat risk. The resulting maps are then used to evaluate how nature-based solutions may reduce risk in vulnerable communities, identified using Socio-Vulnerability Index (SoVI) data. Findings indicate Ana Maria Island is an optimal location to implement a nature-based solution, where flood depths could be reduced by 2.9 km².

Institutions

• University of South Florida St. Petersburg

  Florida, St. Petersburg
• Plymouth State University

  New Hampshire, Plymouth

Categories

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