Storm Surge Hazard Assessment Along the East Coast of India using Geospatial Techniques

Abstract

The study aims to estimate the extent of inundation and depth due to a storm surge event by selecting a worst-case cyclone track scenario for Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal on the basis of historic data. Storm surge model results for the Orissa cyclone suggest that over 2,150 km2 of land is inundated with an extent of 45 km from the shoreline and 1,100 km2 area submerged with 1-2 m from the ground. Andhra’s model suggests that about 450 km2 of the area is inundated due to which the majority of the area is submerged <1 m from the ground. The West Bengal model is carried out using a synthetic track with a wind speed of 155 knots based on the recent cyclonic storm in Bangladesh. The result shows 5,400 km2 of land submerged by <1 m about 2,700 km2 of the area was submerged by 1-2 m of water. The most affected areas were South 24 Parganas and parts of Bangladesh.