Assessment and zonation of storm surge hazards in the coastal areas of China

Abstract

Storm surge is one of the most devastating marine disasters in China, leading to tremendous economic damage and a large number of casualties. Combined storm surge hazard assessment and zonation is an important method for coastal disaster risk reduction and mitigation management. Based on observational data from tide-gauge and hydrological stations in coastal areas, we analyzed storm surge hazard intensity and generated a storm surge hazard map at the county level using the expected values of storm surge and over-warning water levels. The results show that 87, 67, 62, and 40 counties along the coast of China are exposed to the first (highest), second (higher), third (medium), and fourth (low) degree of hazard level, respectively. The areas with the highest risk of storm surge are the coasts of Bohai Bay, Laizhou Bay, and the Yangtze Delta, the coast from the north of Fuzhou to the south of Zhejiang, and the coastal area of Huizhou, Pearl River, and Yangjiang in Guangdong Province. This assessment, which is based on a national storm surge hazards map, can provide decision-making support for the government’s urban planning of coastal cities and site selection in large national projects.