FW: Charles Flagg's e-mail about coastal flooding

From: Adrienne Esposito <aesposito@citizenscampaign.org>

Date: March 13, 2013 6:04:47 PM EDT

Subject: Fwd: Flooding in the western GSB

 

Thought u would be interested   See below

Begin forwarded message:

________________________________________
From: Charles Flagg [charles.flagg@stonybrook.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2013 4:18 PM
Subject: Flooding in the western GSB

Hi,
        Because of all the excitement caused by last weekend's high waters,
I have examined the water level record from Lindenhurst and compared that
with the records from Bellport and Wood Hole.  Woods Hole is included
because it is completely in another coastal region.  Attached are two
figures.  The first shows the de-tided records from the three stations and
like to plot I sent out yesterday, it is clear that these high and low water
periods have been felt all along the coast.  Sometimes Bellport gets more
water than Lindenhurst and sometimes the opposite happens.  Those are small
local effects that depend upon wind direction.  But categorically, the large
water level excursions have nothing to do with the breach at Old Inlet.  So
then I compared the tide records at Bellport and Lindenhurst before and
after the hurricane and those plots are shown in the second figure.  The
tidal amplitudes have not changed as a result of the breach.  So again the
breach does not appear to have altered conditions within the Bay.
        I completely understand the horror of watching the waters creep up
towards ones house but it does not help the situation to insist upon closing
the breach when it is clear that it is not to blame and there are clear
water quality benefits to leaving it open.
Regards, Charlie


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Charles N. Flagg, PhD                   e-mail: charles.flagg@stonybrook.edu
Endeavour Hall, Rm 203          Work:  (631) 632-3184
School of Marine and                    Home: (631) 286-8925
        Atmospheric Sciences            Mobile: (631) 949-4441
Stony Brook University                  FAX:    (631) 632-8820
Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000