CALIBRATION OF A HURRICANE STORM SURGE PROGRAM

The "Bathystrophic Storm Tide Theory" is used to predict open-coast storm surge due to major hurricanes. The model described here is used to calculate storm-surge effects such as flood elevations needed for designing nuclear power plant safety related structures. In order to establish the model's viability the numerical techniques have been verified and the model calibrated using available field data. Numerical verification was performed for special cases where the governing equations of the model could be analytically solved. Inherent in the governing storm-tide equations are certain undetermined coefficients that describe the effects of wind drag and bottom friction. These coefficients were determined by correlating computer predicted results to hurricane storm surge hydrographs of record. As a result of this study, we find excellent agreement between computer predicted and analytical results.