Simulation of cyclone-induced storm surges in the low-lying delta of Bangladesh using coupled hydrodynamic and wave model (SWAN plus ADCIRC)

Bangladesh is vulnerable to several natural disasters and cyclone-generated storm surges have resulted in the deaths of over 700 000 people since 1960. Advancing our capability to model and simulate storm surges using numerical models is utmost important to support early warning and emergency response efforts in the region. This study primarily explored the effectiveness of a hydrodynamic model (ADvanced CIRCulation, ADCIRC) coupled with wave model (Simulating WAves Nearshore, SWAN) under a high-performance computing environment to simulate storm surge and inundation in coastal regions of Bangladesh. The modelling framework was validated using data from freely available historical reports and buoy data. The model-generated storm surge water level shows good agreement with the observations with maximum R-2 value of 0.98 and root mean square error of 0.30 m. Ultimately, research findings have highlighted the importance of the coupled wave and hydrodynamic modelling to calculate storm surges in a region with poor observational coverage.