Geospatial Analysis Based on Hurricane Storm Surge Scenarios on Coastal South Texas and North Mexico

Author

Layda Belia Spor Leal, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Date of Award

5-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Civil Engineering

First Advisor

Dr. Jungseok Ho

Second Advisor

Dr. Abdoul A. Oubeidillah

Third Advisor

Dr. Chu-Lin Cheng

Abstract

The coastal area of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, and Northern Tamaulipas, Mexico, has historically faced a variety of natural disasters involving flooding hazards, such as hurricanes and tropical storms. These scenarios not only represent imminent danger for the population in the area but can lead to long term effects on the infrastructure located in the impact zone. As such, it is imperative to conduct analysis on not only the specific areas that will be affected, but the severity of flooding that can result after a catastrophic event. Modelling work that simulates the storm surge in case of various scenarios have lately been implemented in hydrological fields to attempt to address this issue. However, these simulations often fail to address the effects of flooding outside the country of focus. In areas like the South Texas, where culture, transportation and economy are heavily entangled with Mexico, it is imperative to address the effects on both countries to effectively analyze the extent of risks. As such, this Thesis will investigate the effects of flooding on a binational level, utilizing and further developing existing hurricane storm surge models to obtain accurate results in a variety of scenarios. This information will be processed and further investigated with the use of available geographic information data and systems in order to detail flooding extension, severity, and supplementary information that may provide insight towards urban development and infrastructure management.

Comments

Copyright 2023 Layda Belia Spor Leal. All Rights Reserved.

https://go.openathens.net/redirector/utrgv.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/geospatial-analysis-based-on-hurricane-storm/docview/2842744924/se-2?accountid=7119

Recommended Citation

Spor Leal, Layda Belia, "Geospatial Analysis Based on Hurricane Storm Surge Scenarios on Coastal South Texas and North Mexico" (2023). Theses and Dissertations. 1262.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/etd/1262