From the always useful CZ-Mail newsletter.
A collaborative effort between CZM, the town of Scituate, and the National Weather Service (NWS) will set the stage for much better documentation of storm events and improved forecasts. Various spots along the Massachusetts coastline have a reputation for frequent damage from storms and coastal flooding. Scituate has a number of such “hot spots.” To produce a more comprehensive and objective database of coastal inundation (flooding) and erosion events, ten such frequent flooding locations in Scituate were identified to establish reference markers that would help quantify inundation episodes. Tide staff gages were installed at these sites and carefully referenced to a known elevation. During future coastal storm events, local/state employees or volunteers will now be able to document observed water levels, and, in some circumstances, even upload pictures of high water marks. The Reference Marker Project is part of a larger Inundation and Visualization pilot project that seeks to improve forecasts and dissemination of coastal flood information and warnings. Other project partners include the NOAA North Atlantic Regional Team, Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS), NOAA Coastal Service Center, UMass Dartmouth, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the NWS Taunton Office, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), U.S. Geological Survey, and the town of Saco, Maine. For more project information and a full list of project partners see the NERACOOS and NWS websites.