GCCPRD

1 GCCPRD . The Gulf Coast Community Protection and Recovery District S TO R M SU RG E SU PPR E SSIO N S T U DY. PHASE I REPORT Finalized February 27, 2015. Acronyms and Abbreviations Table of Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations .. v 1. Introduction ..1. Gulf Coast Community Protection and Recovery District ..2. Purpose and Report Presentation ..5. 2. Description of the Study Area ..8. Objectives of the Study ..8. Background of the Natural and Human Environment ..8. Study Area Boundary ..9. Environmental Constraints .. 10. Summary .. 41. 3. Define the Threat and Need .. 42. Historical Storms .. 43. Storm 46. Rains and Flooding .. 48. 4. Types of Surge Protection .. 51. Non-structural Measures .. 52. Natural or Nature-based Features.

2 53. Structural Measures .. 54. Ancillary Structures .. 67. 5. Analysis of International Projects .. 71. International Gates .. 71. Domestic Gates .. 80. Summary Table of Gates .. 87. 6. Public Coordination and 88. Stakeholder Information and Feedback Databases .. 88. Study Website .. 88. Communication Tools and Collateral Material Development .. 89. Noticing Activities .. 89. Outreach Events .. 90. Phase 1 Pubic Comments .. 92. Continued Public Outreach .. 93. 7. Phase 1 Data Collection Results .. 95. Digital Database Library .. 95. Data Library Summary .. 96. Bathymetry .. 104. Geospatial Information .. 104. Page i Acronyms and Abbreviations Geotechnical .. 105. 8. Additional Data 106. Future Technical Evaluations.

3 106. Economic Data .. 110. Survey, Mapping, and GIS Data (Geospatial) .. 111. 9. Phase 2: Technical Mitigation- Methodology: .. 112. Identify and Scope Alternatives .. 112. North Region Draft Alternatives .. 112. Central Region Draft Alternatives .. 113. South Region Draft Alternatives .. 113. Alternatives Screening .. 114. Alternatives Analysis .. 114. Alternative selection and Recommendation .. 115. 10. The Way Ahead .. 116. Appendix A: Sources Cited Appendix B: Data Library Appendix C: Public Coordination and Outreach Documentation Appendix D: Exhibits List of Figures Figure 1 - FEMA map illustrating coastal areas within the study vulnerable to storm surge ..1. Figure 2 - Monthly Chart of Texas Hurricane Activity since 1850.

4 1. Figure 3 - The GCCPRD study process ..7. Figure 4 - Environmental Constraints Study Area .. 14. Figure 5 - National Wetlands Inventory and Floodplains - Brazoria 17. Figure 6 - National Wetlands Inventory and Floodplains - Galveston 18. Figure 7 - National Wetlands Inventory and Floodplains - Harris County .. 19. Figure 8 - National Wetlands Inventory and Floodplains - Chambers 20. Figure 9 - National Wetlands Inventory and Floodplains - Jefferson County .. 21. Figure 10 - National Wetlands Inventory and Floodplains - Orange County .. 22. Figure 11 - Biological 24. Figure 12 - Vegetation Map - Brazoria County .. 26. Figure 13 - Vegetation Map - Galveston 27. Figure 14 - Vegetation Map - Harris County.

5 28. Figure 15 - Vegetation Map - Chambers County .. 29. Figure 16 - Vegetation Map - Jefferson County .. 30. Figure 17 - Vegetation Map - Orange County .. 31. Figure 18 - Historical Sites and Hazardous Materials Sites - Brazoria County .. 35. Figure 19 - Historical Sites and Hazardous Materials Sites - Galveston County .. 36. Figure 20 - Historical Sites and Hazardous Materials Sites - Harris County .. 37. Page ii Acronyms and Abbreviations Figure 21 - Historical Sites and Hazardous Materials Sites - Chambers County .. 38. Figure 22 - Historical Sites and Hazardous Materials Sites - Jefferson 39. Figure 23 - Historical Sites and Hazardous Materials Sites - Orange County .. 40. Figure 24 - Estimated return period in years for hurricanes passing within 50 nautical miles of various locations on the Coast (NOAA 2014).

6 42. Figure 25 - Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) model of Galveston Hurricane of 190045. Figure 26 - FEMA Flood Zones .. 47. Figure 27 - Rainfall totals (inches) and track of Tropical Storm Allison (NOAA(c) ).. 49. Figure 28 - Rainfall totals (inches) and track of Tropical Storm Claudette (NOAA (d) ).. 50. Figure 29 - Natural and Nature-based Infrastructure at a Glance (USACE(c) 2013).. 54. Figure 30 - (a) Miter Gate Open Position, (b) Miter Gate Closed .. 56. Figure 31 - Typical Vertical Lift Gate .. 57. Figure 32 - Typical Flap Gate .. 59. Figure 33 - Vertical Rotating Gate .. 61. Figure 34 - Floating Sector 62. Figure 35 - Non-floating Sector Gate .. 63. Figure 36 - Barge Gate.

7 65. Figure 37 -Inflatable Rubber Dam .. 66. Figure 38 - Typical Levee Section .. 67. Figure 39 - Typical I-wall 68. Figure 40 - Typical (a) T-wall & (b) L-wall Sections .. 69. Figure 41 - Typical Combi-wall Section .. 70. Figure 42 - Marina Barrage .. 71. Figure 43 - Fudai Flood Gate .. 72. Figure 44 - Ramspol Storm Surge 72. Figure 45 - Maeslant Barrier .. 73. Figure 46 - Hartel Barrier .. 74. Figure 47 - Thames 75. Figure 48 - Eider 76. Figure 49 - St. Petersburg Dam .. 77. Figure 50 - Lido Inlet Barrier .. 78. Figure 51 - Malamocco Inlet Barrier .. 78. Figure 52 - Chioggia Inlet Barrier .. 79. Figure 53 - Nieuwpoort Storm Surge Barrier .. 80. Figure 54 - Seabrook Floodgate Complex .. 81. Figure 55 - (a) Sector Gate & Barge Gate, (b) Bayou Bienvenue Vertical Lift Gate.

8 82. Figure 56 - Foxpoint Hurricane Barrier .. 83. Figure 57 - Stamford Hurricane Barrier .. 84. Figure 58 - GIWW West Closure Complex .. 85. Figure 59 - New Bedford Hurricane Protection Barrier .. 85. Figure 60 - Bush Canal 86. Figure 61 - The website .. 88. Page iii Acronyms and Abbreviations Figure 62 Study Guide .. 89. Figure 63 - The public scoping meeting in League City on December 4, 2014 .. 91. Figure 64 - Geospatial (Web) Portal and PDF Map Exhibit .. 105. Figure 65 Example of ADCIRC Modeling Mesh of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico (FEMA, ) .. 108. Figure 66 a-c - Tracks used to define the synthetic storms. Hurricane parameters vary along the tracks. Each provides the storm forcing required for simulations (FEMA 2011).

9 110. List of Tables Table 1 - Total Size of the GCCPRD Study Area ..9. Table 2 - Population Counts by 10. Table 3 - Cities in the GCCPRD Study Area .. 10. Table 4 - Major Roadways in the Six-County GCCPRD Study Area .. 11. Table 5 - Ports in the GCCPRD Study Area .. 12. Table 6 - NWR and State Parks in the GCCPRD Study Area .. 12. Table 7 - NWI in the GCCPRD Study Area .. 15. Table 8 - River and Coastal Basins in the GCCPRD Study Area .. 16. Table 9 - Floodplains in the GCCPRD Study Area .. 16. Table 10 - Coastal Barriers in the GCCPRD Study Area .. 23. Table 11 - Critical Habitat for the Piping Plover in the GCCPRD Study 23. Table 12 - Vegetation Types within the GCCPRD Study Area .. 25. Table 13 - EFH within the GCCPRD Study Area.

10 32. Table 14 - National Historic Sites in the GCCPRD Study Area .. 33. Table 15 - Hazardous Materials Sites in the GCCPRD Study 34. Table 16 - Historic Storms in the Six-county Region (Lichter 2014).. 43. Table 17 - Types of Surge Suppression and Flood Risk Management 51. Table 18 - Favorable and Unfavorable Aspects of Miter Gates .. 56. Table 19 - Favorable and Unfavorable Aspects of Vertical Lift 57. Table 20 - Favorable and Unfavorable Aspects of Flap Gates .. 59. Table 21 - Favorable and Unfavorable Aspects of Rotating Gates .. 61. Table 22 - Favorable and Unfavorable Aspects of Floating Sector Gates .. 62. Table 23 - Favorable and Unfavorable Aspects of Non-Floating Sector Gates .. 63. Table 24 - Favorable and Unfavorable Aspects of Barge Gates.