This thesis presents a technique for storm surge forecasting. Storm surge is the water that is pushed toward the shore by the force of the winds swirling around the storm. This advancing surge combines with the normal tides to create the hurricane storm tide, which can increase the mean water level by almost 20 feet. Numerical modeling is an important tool used for storm surge forecast. Numerical model ADCIRC (Advanced Circulation model; Luettich et al, 1992) is used in this thesis for simulating hurricanes. A statistical technique, EST (Empirical Statistical Technique) is used to generate life cycle storm surge values from the simulated hurricanes. These two models have been applied to Freeport, TX. The thesis also compares the results with the model SLOSH (Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes), which is currently used for evacuation and planning. The present approach of classifying hurricanes according to their maximum sustained winds is analyzed. This approach is not found to applicable in all the cases and more research needs to be done. An alternate approach is suggested for hurricane storm surge estimation.

In 1986, Hurricane Bonnie passed over Wier Woods, a well-developed mesic forest in the Big Thicket Area of Texas, causing substantial tree mortality and opening several canopy gaps. Mortality was high during the hurricane interval, but did not vary significantly among species. Ingrowth into the 4.5 cm DBH size class was accelerated by the hurricane. Tree growth was largely unaffected by the hurricane; however, small individuals of all species experienced slightly increased growth rates after the hurricane. Mortality in the years after the storm did not decrease or increase. Even though Bonnie caused approximately three times "normal" mortality, there was only a slight decrease in basal area from 1985 to 1987. The low frequency of hurricanes and the modest effects of this hurricane suggest that hurricanes may have limited effects on the structure and dynamics of forests of the Big Thicket.

This thesis presents a technique for storm surge forecasting. Storm surge is the water that is pushed toward the shore by the force of the winds swirling around the storm. This advancing surge combines with the normal tides to create the hurricane storm tide, which can increase the mean water level by almost 20 feet. Numerical modeling is an important tool used for storm surge forecast. Numerical model ADCIRC (Advanced Circulation model; Luettich et al, 1992) is used in this thesis for simulating hurricanes. A statistical technique, EST (Empirical Statistical Technique) is used to generate life cycle storm surge values from the simulated hurricanes. These two models have been applied to Freeport, TX. The thesis also compares the results with the model SLOSH (Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes), which is currently used for evacuation and planning. The present approach of classifying hurricanes according to their maximum sustained winds is analyzed. This approach is not found to applicable in all the cases and more research needs to be done. An alternate approach is suggested for hurricane storm surge estimation.

The barrier islands of the gulf coast of the U.S. have been shaped and changed by hurricanes for centuries. These storms can alter the vegetation of the barrier islands by redistributing sediments, scouring off vegetation, physical damage to the plants, and by salt stress following the storm. Hurricanes also alter the mammal communities of the barrier islands through direct mortality and by altering vegetative communities. It is important to understand how the vegetation of barrier islands recovers after major hurricanes because the vegetation provides the structure that maintains and builds these islands. Following the landfall of Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005, I studied the changes in the herbaceous ground cover and the density of woody plants in Gulf Islands National Seashore in Mississippi from the winter of 2005 to the summer of 2007. Growth from existing plants and seed banks quickly revegetated the islands after the storm. The amount of live ground cover increased and bare ground decreased on each island and in every vegetation type. Most woody plant species also showed a net increase in density, with the exception of pine (Pinus elliottii) and Florida rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides). The regeneration of woody species and the uniform increase in the live ground cover seemed to indicate that the vegetation of the islands was not irreversibly impacted. I also studied the changes in the composition of mammal populations in Gulf Islands National Seashore from the winter of 2005 to the summer of 2007. Prior to the storm 11 terrestrial mammal species were recorded in studies of the barrier islands. In the 2 years following Hurricane Katrina, I recorded only 1 of the 7 species on Cat Island, 5 of the 9 species on Horn Island and 2 species each on East Ship, West Ship, and Petit Bois Islands (which previously had 4, 4, and 2 each). Populations of mammals that used multiple vegetation types (raccoons [Procyon lotor], nutria [Myocastor coypus], and eastern cottontail [Sylvilagus floridanus]) seemed to show more tolerance to hurricane disturbance than more specialized species (black rat [Rattus rattus], marsh rice rat [Oryzomys palustris]). I also recorded at least one colonization event by river otter (Lutra canadensis), a species not recently recorded on the islands. This research serves as a baseline for future comparison following similar storms.

Thesis (M. S.)--Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2010. / Committee Chair: Curry, Judith A.; Committee Member: Black, Robert X.; Committee Member: Deng, Yi. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.

Jekyll Island, Georgia is located within the Georgia Bight, on the Atlantic coast of the United State. In recent history, the Georgia Bight has been less frequently hit by hurricanes compared to other areas along the Atlantic coast. To determine if Jekyll Island has had a more active hurricane past, a paleohurricane record was obtained from the northern tip of the island, within Waterfall Marsh. A 500 year old hurricane record was inferred from the sediment layers obtained from the marsh. In core JE-4, a sandy shell layer containing nearshore foraminifera was observed, providing evidence of a hurricane event. A radiocarbon date of 406 a BP was obtained for the sandy shell layer, providing a minimum age for the hurricane event. A hurricane return interval of one major hurricane per 500 years was also determined for the study area.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-102). / xi, 102 leaves, bound ill. (some col.) 29 cm

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on August 25, 2008) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Rhode Island, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-131).

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. T.N. Krishnamurti, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Meteorology. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Aug. 26, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.