The Dublin Coastal Protection Project

Abstract

In February 2002 the City of Dublin experienced severe flooding as a result of what was believed to be a combination of unusually high tides and meteorological surges. The disruption to the city prompted the Dublin City Council to put in place a programme of works of which the Dublin Coastal Flooding Protection Project is a seminal part. Subsequent analysis of tidal records and meteorological conditions has shown that the return period for the event of 1 February 2002 was not unusual. This paper will describe the development of a coastal flood forecasting system for the City of Dublin taking account of the state of coastal defences along the coast line as well as the Rivers Tolka, Dodder and Liffey. It will describe the role of numerical modelling to derive sea state conditions along the coastline affected. When coupled with a finite element hydrodynamic model, a model of the Rivers Liffey, Dodder and Tolka and overtopping, enable forecasts of future high tides and potential flooding to be made and actions taken. The emphasis is on the practical application of the results of the numerical modelling within a coastal flood forecasting system. The Paper will also describe the role of the project within the European Strategies & Actions For Emergency Risk management initiative (SAFER) and the development of best practice within a wider European context. The SAFER project has been constituted to promote a risk management approach to flooding focused on three central themes of: (a) provision of flood hazard and risk information; (b) flood emergency response planning and management delivered at the local level through (c) flood partnerships.