Southern California Coastal Hazards

The coastal erosion task

Objective: To develop a real-time, state-of-the-art model for predicting coastal hazards along the Southern California coast.

Specific long-term objectives are to:

1. develop basic research products and interface tools; integrate the individual hazard products, and economic and social science research into planning and response resources that are guided by the user-community needs;
2. develop a human exchange program between the USGS and its partner organization for purposes of scenario training development and hazard data interpretation;
3. develop effective working relationships between USGS and other federal agencies (e.g., NOAA, FEMA (Dept. of Homeland Security) for coordinated planning and response purposes; and
4. pull together all existing hazard data and information in one place, both physical and virtual, for ease of integration and access by the user-community.

Within this specific task, our objective is to evaluate risk to coasts from erosion and flooding during winter storm events. We will provide real-time coastal hazards information for Southern California, from Pt. Conception to the Mexican Border, in order to reduce losses along this populated stretch of coastline during severe storms. Information to be provided includes wave height, water level, current strength, erosion potential, and flooding potential.