HURRICANE IKE (2008) NEARSHORE WAVES: SIMULATIONS AND MEASUREMENTS

Abstract

Hurricane Ike (2008) caused extensive damage and many deaths across portions of the Caribbean and along the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. After reaching peak intensity over the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Hurricane Ike, with its associated storm surge, then caused extensive damage across parts of the northwestern Gulf Coast when it made landfall in the late hours of September 12th along the upper Texas coast at the upper end of Category 2 intensity. An extensive instrumentation effort allowed the collection of both nearshore and inland wave and water level data as Hurricane Ike passed by the Louisiana and Texas coasts. This paper presents the results of a validation effort for the STWAVE model and the bottom friction coefficients applied in the model with comparisons to the Hurricane Ike measured wave data. STWAVE model results indicate good agreement with the measured nearshore wave data for an open water Manning 'n' bottom friction coefficient equal to 0.03 s/m0.33. STWAVE model results indicate good agreement with the measured inshore wave data with Manning 'n' bottom friction coefficients equal to values derived from land classification data and applied in the ADCIRC model.