Recent floods in Texas have caused some of the worst flooding since Hurricane Ike in 2008. Researchers in the Computational Engineering and Sciences department at the University of Texas in Austin have been studying models and simulations of hurricanes like Ike in order to predict the consequences of such natural disasters and better prepare the Texas Gulf Coast for their effects. The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics has produced a video about mathematical models that can help predict the reach of storm surges.

In the video, Jennifer Proft, research scientist, describes how environmental and coastal ocean engineering models yield complex systems that combine Jennifer Proft describes Galveston bay area as one of the most flood-prone regions in the U.S. Source: Wikipediainterdisciplinary techniques.

(Read “Hardening the Energy Coast” and “NOAA Mapping Tool Offers Texas-to-Main Coastal Flood Information.”)

Proft describes how high-resolution modeling of extreme weather uses elements down to small levels in order to “see” the Galveston shipping channel and capture topography to help protect critical industry in the area. She says there is “a lot of validation” between the new mathematical model and historical storm data. She also describes Galveston bay area as one of the most flood-prone regions in the U.S.

Proposed strategies to mitigate the risk of storm surge include expanding a sea wall built after a devastating storm in 1900, according to Proft. She also describes the idea of adding levees to the Galveston region and incorporating gates to close in times of storm surges.