flooding

John Callahan selected to the DRBC Advisory Committee on Climate Change

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DGS scientist John Callahan was selected as a member of the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) Advisory Committee on Climate Change (ACCC).  John was selected as one of nine non-reserve members, to serve along with nine reserve members, to make up the 18-member committee.

Groundwater response to extreme rainfall event – eastern Sussex County

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During an extreme rainfall event that occurred September 29-30, 2016, more than 12 inches in one day, caused the water table to rise over 5 feet near Harbeson, Delaware. A subsequent 3.6 inch storm on October 8 - 9 caused the water table to rise above land surface and flood the area for nearly 8 hours.

Workshop on Delaware high water marks

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Delaware Sea Grant-funded researchers John Callahan, Kevin Brinson and Tina Callahan organized a workshop on Delaware high water marks at the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR) St. Jones Reserve Training Center in Dover on June 23. The workshop included an update on current progress to catalog, display, and distribute high water mark data collected in Delaware for past flooding events from 1960-present, and discussed plans for regional coordination of pre-storm deployment of water level sensors at temporary monitoring locations for future storms. Callahan, an associate scientist with the Delaware Geological Survey, subsequently shared a similar update on the project with the Delaware State Hazard Mitigation Council at the Delaware Emergency Management Agency’s main offices in Smyrna on June 30 to help assess the impacts from past storms and better prepare for future events.

Coastal flood workshop - UD, organizations collaborate to improve Mid-Atlantic coastal resiliency

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Sea-level rise, dissipating dunes and susceptibility to storm surges are a few of the factors that contribute to a vulnerable coast. A coast at risk means an increased potential for damage to coastal communities and ecosystems in the event of tropical systems, nor'easters or other damaging weather.

More than 40 experts representing state and federal agencies and regional universities gathered to discuss these and other important issues during the Coastal Flood Research, Modeling and Monitoring Workshop on Sept. 16.

John Callahan gave presentation at Army Reserve Forces Policy Committee annual meeting

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John Callahan presented on several ongoing CEOE projects that focus on the monitoring of the tides and storm surge, such as from water level tide gages and satellite imagery, as well as on past data analysis and future forecasts. The presentation also included a live demonstration of the Delaware Coastal Flood Monitoring System. The operational and research-based projects are being jointly conducted by the Delaware Geological Survey, Delaware Sea Grant, the Delaware Environmental Observing System, the Delaware Environmental Monitoring and Analysis Center and the state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Delaware Coastal Programs.

Developing a Weather and Flood Monitoring System for Transportation in Delaware

The Delaware Environmental Observing System (DEOS) and the Delaware Geological Survey (DGS) worked closely with DelDOT to provide initial background technical information and to make recommendations on how such a system may be further developed that could be incorporated into future DelDOT strategic