Vulnerability of a Residential Community near the Houston Ship Channel Industrial Corridor to Flooding from Storm Surge

Recently, there have been concerns about the damage to coastal community health and economic losses resulting from potentially toxic substances released due to failure of industrial facilities during hurricane events. Hurricane Ike in 2008, despite being a Category 2 hurricane at landfall, recorded the largest surge in Houston Ship Channel since Hurricane Carla (1961). After the passage of the hurricane, there had been reports of possible volatile material leaks in the industrial complex in Houston Ship Channel. In this study, we focus on the hurricane-induced surge that occurred in the community of Galena Park, near Greater Houston, which has been the site of frequent flooding. The purpose of this study is to analyze storm surge characteristics in the area and their potential for contaminant transport and possible damage to the community. The Delft3D Flexible Mesh model suite was used to investigate the impacts of hurricane-induced surge on the area of interest (AOI). While the entire unstructured grid covers the entire Gulf of Mexico, the grid resolution increases in the AOI. For accuracy and time saving in calculating the storm surge to bayous and tributaries, the unstructured gird on the tributaries was converted to a curvilinear grid following the geometric axis of the waterways. Although the Houston industrial complex was not located in the most intense sectors of the wind field of Hurricane Ike, the model results show a significant increase in water level along Hunting Bayou and Panther Creek, which are the main tributaries flowing through Galena Park. Furthermore, simulations of Hurricane Ike reveal that the floodwater was retained within Hunting Bayou and Panther Creek after the storm passage. It is known that stagnant, possibly polluted area in the tributaries of the AOI may contribute to further damage to the community. Model validations and additional insights from synthetic hurricanes considering future scenarios will be discussed.