FEASIBILITY STUDY OF QUANTITATIVE EROSION MODELS FOR 



USE BY THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY IN THE 



PREDICTION OF COASTAL FLOODING 



PART I: INTRODUCTION 

 Background 



1. In 1985, an unusual sequence of three hurricanes entered the Gulf 

 of Mexico and moved toward Grand Isle, Louisiana. Although the newly 

 constructed protective beach and dune survived the passage of Hurricanes 

 Danny and Elena, Hurricane Juan, which followed, caused major damage to 

 property and leveled large sections of the remaining dune. In the same year. 

 Hurricane Gloria posed a major threat to the east coast as the first major 

 hurricane to pass the heavily developed mid-Atlantic shore since Hurricane 

 Hazel in 1954. In addition to hurricanes, more frequently occurring winter 

 storms regularly cause erosion, flooding, and property damage along the 

 Atlantic and Pacific Ocean coasts (Figure 1). 



Figure 1. Storm damage caused by erosion of the dune 



2. Because of the severity of coastal storms and their potential for 

 causing loss of life and property damage, understanding and prediction of 



