Coastal Inundation due to Tide, Surge, Waves, and Sea Level Rise at Naval Station Norfolk

A coupled flow and wave model, the Coastal Modeling System (CMS), was developed to simulate synthetic tropical storms with the consideration of future sea level rise (SLR) scenarios and to evaluate the potential coastal inundation at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. The CMS capability for surge and inundation calculations was validated with Hurricane Isabel, a devastating hurricane that landed on the Norfolk area in 2003. The CMS calculated water surface elevation and storm-induced inundation for combined influence of tide, surge, waves, wind, and SLR. Associated with the storm surge and SLR, extensive inundation occurs at the Naval Station Norfolk. For the 100-year storm, the surge levels could inundate approximately 60-80% of the Naval Station Norfolk under the present sea level and different SLR scenarios.