Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-2023

Abstract

Cameron County, which is located in the Rio Grande Valley, maintains records of storm surges associated with noticeable property damage, fatalities, and injuries. This study investigates storm surge inundation risk in Cameron County using storm surge hazard datasets from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, along with American Community Survey 2019 block group datasets. Using a GIS-based spatial multicriteria decision analysis with an analytical hierarchy process method, the study estimates that storm surge water levels could be above 6.1 m (20 ft) in category 4 and 5 hurricane events, whereas about 37% of the county’s population (159,659 people) could be exposed to floodwater in the event of a category 5 hurricane. The inundation risk map shows that in the event of a category 4 or 5 hurricane, about 28 and 42%, respectively, of county’s area could be exposed to a very high level of inundation risk. Because of the destructive power of such storms and their potential consequences, the findings suggest that storm surge risk should not be underestimated. All stakeholders should proactively prepare for potential storm surge events.

Comments

Copyright Coastal Education and Research Foundation, Inc. 2023. Original published version available at https://doi.org/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-22-00011.1

Publication Title

Journal of Coastal Research

DOI

https://doi.org/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-22-00011.1

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.