UROP Project

Evaluating the Influence of Rainfall–Storm Surge Timing on Compound Flooding in Perdido Bay

Compound flooding, storm surge, rainfall, timing, hydrodynamic modeling, Perdido Bay, coastal resilience

Research Mentor: 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: No, the project is remote
Remote or In-person: Fully Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable

Project Description

Compound flooding occurs when multiple flood drivers, such as heavy rainfall, riverine discharge, and storm surge, interact and amplify flooding in coastal regions. An important but less understood factor is the relative timing of rainfall and storm surge peaks. Flood impacts may vary substantially depending on whether peak rainfall occurs before, during, or after the peak coastal water level. This project aims to evaluate how different rainfall–storm surge timing combinations influence flood depth, extent, duration, and spatial distribution in Perdido Bay. Using an existing calibrated hydrodynamic model, the student will develop and analyze controlled timing scenarios to identify conditions that produce the most severe compound flooding. The findings will improve understanding of compound flood mechanisms and support coastal flood-risk management and resilience planning.

Research Tasks: 1. Process rainfall, storm surge, water-level, and other hydrologic data used for compound flood simulations.
2. Develop rainfall–storm surge timing scenarios by shifting the relative timing of rainfall and coastal water-level peaks.
3. Apply an existing calibrated hydrodynamic model to simulate compound flooding under different timing scenarios.
4. Compare flood depth, inundation extent, flood duration, and spatial flood patterns among scenarios.
5. Analyze and visualize model results using GIS, Python, Excel, or similar tools.
6. Summarize findings and identify rainfall–surge timing combinations that produce the greatest compound flood impacts.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: Interest in coastal flooding and environmental modeling, self-motivation, attention to detail, and ability to manage and process environmental data using Excel or similar software.
Preferred: Programming experience in Python, R, or MATLAB; familiarity with GIS; and/or experience with hydrologic or hydrodynamic modeling software.