Visualization of Storm Surge

Summary:

Storm surge is the rise in water level due to a storm. The NOAA simulator SLOSH (Sea Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes) is used to model storm surges. This simulator computes the expected level of storm surge, over time, for a given coastal location and given the specific characteristics of a hurricane, including such parameters as wind speeds and direction. NIST (BFRL and ITL) are collaborating with NOAA to develop a statistical model of storm surges along the east coast of the U.S.A. to help define building requirements for coastal development.

The Computational Geometry Algorithms Library was used to generate all the basins as well as the surface of the water from the output of slosh. All models were true 3D and viewable in our immersive visualization environment as well as on the desktop.