A basis function approach for exploring the seasonal and spatial features of storm surge events

Abstract

Storm surge is a significant contributor to flooding in coastal and estuarine regions. To represent the statistical characteristics of storm surge over a climatologically diverse region, we propose the use of basis functions that capture the temporal progression of individual storm surge events. This extends statistical analyses of surge from considering only the peak to a more multifaceted approach that also includes decay rate and duration. Our results show that there is seasonal variation in storm surge along the Australian coastline. During the dominant storm surge seasons, the peak and duration of storm surge events tend to increase simultaneously at a number of locations, with implications for flood damage assessments and evacuation planning. By combining the dynamic and statistical features of storm surge, it is possible to better understand the factors that can lead to flood risk along the coastline, including estuarine areas that are also affected by fluvial floods.