Every year between October and April,
the coast of New England is hit by storms
moving north through the Atlantic.
Named for their prevailing northeast winds,
the storms, known as nor'easters, shape and reshape eastern coastlines.
Hurricane force wind speeds produce strong currents,
large storm surges and powerful waves.
Storm surges and waves combine with the tides to create flooding.
Beaches erode and sand shift under the force of swiftly moving floodwaters and waves.
Warming oceans and rising seas magnify the effects of storms.
Scientists at three national parks in New England,
together with a team of researchers from the University of Rhode Island
Island and Penn State, are designing coastal models to understand
how sea level rise will affect the impacts of nor'easters on
three New England parks.
The team uses high resolution maps of the coastal topography,
along with computer models capable of simulating the ocean's response to storms.
The ocean model incorporates precipitation, river flows, tides,
storm winds and atmospheric pressures to predict storm effects with
and without anticipated future sea levels.
This helps people working on the ground in parks, see what areas are susceptible
to impacts and plan for the future.