lives and damages to property, with due consideration of the 

 economics of proposed breakwaters, seawalls, dikes, dams, and 

 other structures, warning services, or other measures which 

 might be reouired." 



SCOPE OF SURVEY 



2. GEtJERAL 



This interim report of survey scope comprises the results of 

 an examination and survey of hurricane tidal flooding in the 

 Narragansett and Mount Hope Bay areas of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. 

 It is one report of a series in preparation which, when completed, 

 will constitute a full survey of the coastal areas of New £hgland 

 subject to tidal flooding from hurricanes. In the preparation of 

 this report, extensive basic data was collected and analyzed because 

 of the limited information available on hurricsune tidal flooding 

 when the survey was initiated. All available data on tidal 

 hydraulics, hxjrricane characteristics, past hvirricanes in the area, 

 and the oceanography of Narragansett Bay were utilized. Various 

 engineering and special studies were carried out, and work was 

 coordinated with various Federal, state and local agencies. 



3. ENaiMeaiii\iG studies 



Detailed hydrographic surveys were made as a basis for 

 analytical and experimental studies of protective works in Narragansett 

 Bay, both for hurricane tide and normal tide conditions. Field 

 investigations were made of tidal flood damages in the entire sxirvey 

 area. Field investigations also included topograjhic surve3''s, 

 sovmdings and borings for each of the barrier sites investigated, 

 except that in the deep waters of the Lower Bay seismic investigations 

 of foundation conditions were made instead of borings. All of the 

 many plans of protection proposed by interested parties were considered 

 in order to determine the most practical and economical means of 

 protection against tidal flooding. The more suitable plans were 

 thoroughly investigated, and designs and estimates of costs and 

 benefits prepared. 



U. SPECIAL studies 



A hydraulic model of Narragansett Bay, 200 feet in length and 

 100 feet in width, at the Waterways Experiment Station in Vicksburg, 

 Mississippi, was used to investigate the characteristics of normal 

 and hurricane tides in the bay and the effectiveness of barriers in 

 reducing hurricane flood levels. The Beach Erosion Board, assisted 

 by the Texas A&M Research Foundation, using data on maximum hurricane 



