Coastal Change Hazards: Hurricanes and Extreme Storms

Hurricane Ivan

Hurricane Ivan. Image courtesy of the National Weather Service. [larger version]

Category-3 Hurricane Ivan came ashore near Gulf Shores, Alabama, on September 16, 2004. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), NASA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and University of New Orleans (UNO) are cooperating in a research project investigating coastal change that occurred during Hurricane Ivan.

After landfall, aerial video, still photography, and airborne laser mapping data were acquired from the impacted areas and compared with earlier data. The comparisons show the nature, magnitude, and spatial variability of coastal changes such as beach erosion and overwash deposition. These data will be used to develop and test predictive models of coastal impacts from severe storms. The data are being made available to local, state and federal agencies for purposes of disaster recovery and erosion mitigation.

Hurricane Ivan before and after lidar pairs are available online. See examples of extreme coastal change revealed by pre- and post-storm Lidar surveys.

Hurricane Ivan before and after photo pairs are available online. See examples of extreme coastal change in photos taken September 17 after Ivan's landfall.