UROP Project

Evaluating Compound Flood Impacts under Climate Change in Perdido and Pensacola Bay

Compound flooding, climate change, coastal resilience, Perdido Bay, Pensacola Bay

Research Mentor: htansar@eng.famu.fsu.edu Husnain Tansar,
Department, College, Affiliation: Civil and Environmental Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: htansar@eng.famu.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Civil and Environmental Engineering, Earth and Ocean Sciences, Climate Science, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:

• Day: Tuesday, September 2
  Start Time: 3:00
  End Time: 3:30
  Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/98754168829

Project Description

Compound flooding occurs when multiple drivers of flooding such as storm surge, heavy rainfall, and riverine discharge which interact to amplify flood impacts. Coastal systems like Perdido Bay and Pensacola Bay are especially vulnerable due to their low-lying topography, high population density, and exposure to hurricanes. Climate change is expected to intensify rainfall extremes, accelerate sea-level rise, and increase storm surge frequency, exacerbating these risks. This project aims to evaluate the impact of compound flooding in Perdido and Pensacola Bay under different climate change scenarios. The research will support local adaptation planning and resilience strategies to protect vulnerable communities and ecosystems.

Research Tasks: 1. Collect and process hydrologic, hydraulic, and climate projection data (e.g., rainfall, river discharge, sea-level rise, storm surge).
2. Apply existing hydrodynamic or statistical models to simulate compound flood scenarios.
3. Evaluate spatial and temporal flood impacts under different climate change conditions.
4. Summarize findings to support coastal risk management and adaptation strategies.


Skills that research assistant(s) may need: • Interest in climate change and coastal flooding, self-motivation, ability to manage and process environmental data (Excel, Access, or similar).
• Optional: Interest in programming (Python), familiarity with hydrodynamic or flood modeling software, GIS skills for spatial analysis.