Coastal Flooding Mod4

 The lab this week focused on coastal flooding assessment. This included understanding elevation models and how they are used to delineate coastal flood zones, overlay analysis in vector and raster domains, and examining the effects of differences in boundaries. A laz file of Hurricane Sandy date pre and post was downloaded and then converted to las format using a new Spatial ETL tool. The appropriate format and dataset was then chosen in generate workspace which then opened the workbench. Within the workbench the run (green arrow) for the translation parameter values was used. DEMs were then created converting the las to a TIN and then the TIN to Raster tool. The Raster Calculator was then used to subtract the pre hurricane from the post hurricane raster. The map below shows the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in the Mantoloking, NJ area using the above mentioned process.

We also analyzed storm surge in Florida comparing a USGS DEM and a DEM derived from LiDAR. A raster was created for each layer showing which cells flooded or have an elevation of 1 meter or less. A raster representing the area connected to the water was then converted to a polygon. Spatial join was then used to determine which buildings within the given area were impacted by a 1 m storm surge.