Atlantic Climate Adaptation Solutions Association Solutions d'adaptation aux changements climatiques pour l'Atlantique

Survey Grade GPS Storm Surge High Water Mapping

November 2011 Applied Geomatics Research Group, Nova Scotia Community College

Report Prepared by: Dr. Tim Webster, Kevin McGuigan and Chris Webster, Applied Geomatics

Research Group – Centre Geographic Sciences, Nova Scotia Community College, Nova Scotia

Community College, 50 Elliott Road, Lawrencetown, NS B0S 1M0.

The Applied Geomatics Research Group is a team of Research Scientists, Research Associates, and

graduate students, applying a suite of geomatics technologies to explore environmental, health and

social issues.

Edited by: Erin Taylor, Prince Edward Island Department of Environment, Labour and Justice

Project Management: Prince Edward Island Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry, 11

Kent Street, Charlottetown, PE, C1A 7N8, Tel: 902 368-6111, eotaylor@gov.pe.ca

Disclaimer: This publication is not be used without permission, and any unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. ACASA, the authors, the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Regional Adaptation Collaborative are not responsible for any unauthorized use that may be made of the information contained therein. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of ACASA, its associated provinces, or other partners of the Regional Adaptation Collaborative.

This report is also available for download from the ACASA website at: www.atlanticadaptation.ca

Photo Credit: D. Jardine

i

Table of Contents

Table of Figures ................................................................................................................................ii

List of Tables ................................................................................................................................... iii

Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1

Methods .......................................................................................................................................... 2

Results ............................................................................................................................................. 3

Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 21

Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 22

Appendix 1 .................................................................................................................................... 23

Appendix 2 .................................................................................................................................... 24

ii

Table of Figures Figure 1: Location of the survey grade GPS high water marks (red triangles) obtained in the summer of 2011. ............................................................................................................................. 2

Figure 2: Souris high water marks from Jan 21, 2000 storm surge, ~ 1.75 m CGVD28. ................. 8

Figure 3: Mount Stewart bridge GPS elevations above CGVD28. .................................................. 9

Figure 4: Savage Harbour GPS high water marks Dec 21, 2010 storm. ........................................ 10

Figure 5: Photo of the day after the Dec. 21, 2010 storm (upper left DE Jardine) and during normal conditions at Savage Harbour. ......................................................................................... 11

Figure 6: Photos of normal conditions at Savage Harbour wharf (top) and during the Dec 21, 2010 storm (bottom) (photo supplied by Mr. Randy Gallant). .................................................... 11

Figure 7: Campbellton Road high water wrack line debris that was pushed off the road after the Dec. 21, 2010 storm. ..................................................................................................................... 12

Figure 8: North Rustico survey sites for high water marks from the Dec 21, 2010 (1.99 m) and Dec 26, 2004 (1.85 m) storms. ...................................................................................................... 13

Figure 9: Photos of North Rustico after the Dec 21, 1010 storm (top left DE Jardine) and under normal conditions. The water mark is still visible in the gift shop (lower right). ......................... 13

Figure 10: Photos of North Rustico after the Dec 21, 1010 storm (top left DE Jardine) and under normal conditions (lower photos). ............................................................................................... 14

Figure 11: Map of high water GPS marks for the Summerside area. ........................................... 15

Figure 12: GPS elevations (CGVD28) of monitoring wells west of Summerside, blue line denotes the shoreline. ................................................................................................................................ 15

Figure 13: Fernwood high water marks from Jan 3, 2010 storm surge........................................ 16

Figure 14: Fernwood photos immediately following the Jan 3, 2010 storm (top left) and after adding fill to the lot (top right). The lower photos show the rock and other debris placed on the lawn by the surge. ......................................................................................................................... 17

Figure 15: Borden-Carleton high water mark from the Jan 2-3, 1010 storm surge. .................... 18

Figure 16: High water GPS survey locations for Charlottetown waterfront. Note the date marking the high water line on the crane (lower left photo inset) is incorrect Jan 21, 1999 and should read Jan 21, 2000. ............................................................................................................. 19

Figure 17: Photo by DE Jardine of the Charlottetown Yacht club damage after the Dec. 6, 2010 storm surge. .................................................................................................................................. 19

Figure 18: Victoria high water GPS marks for Jan 21, 2000 and Jan 3, 2010. .............................. 20

Figure 19: Example of "wave run-up" (R) and still water level (SWL), top figure. Elevated water levels as a result of a low pressure storm system with extreme winds, lower figure. This causes a storm surge raising the water level above the predicted tide with associated wave set-up and wave run-up at the coast. ............................................................................................................. 23

iii

Figure 20: Location of PEI HPN survey monuments. .................................................................... 24

List of Tables Table 1: PEI High Precision Network (HPN) of survey monuments and coordinates. .................... 4

Table 2: Survey grade GPS elevation of high water marks..............................................................5

Table 3: GPS measurements of features that are not high water marks........................................7

1

Introduction

Tide gauge records are used to determine the water levels from storm surge and tides

combined. Charlottetown is the only tide gauge the Canadian Hydrographic Service is still

operating in Prince Edward Island. While it may characterize storms impacting the south coast

of the island, it does not accurately reflect the water levels on the North Shore. A strong

Nor’easter, for example, will affect the north shore of the island more severely than the south.

An accurate record of storm surge elevations and the storm characteristics are important to

supplement other existing time series records of water levels (e.g. tide gauges) and predict the

probability of future high water events. This is done through the development of an extreme

value model, derived from the time series. The model is typically derived from a time series on

annual maxima. These are rare or extreme events and the sparseness of them effects the

model parameters, therefore supplementing the time series with additional information on

extreme events should improve our model predictions.

Using GPS to measure the high-water line after a storm event is one way to capture these

extreme events that are not represented in the tide gauge records. It should be noted that the

tide gauge will measure the “still water level” which represents the storm surge on top of the

predicted tide (Appendix 1). Wind causes waves to be developed on top of the storm surge and

“wave run-up” occurs as they approach the coast. The “wave run-up” elevation is usually

higher than the storm surge still water elevation (Appendix 1). The method of using GPS to

measure the high water mark or debris left from the water will typically measure the extent of

“wave run-up”.

The purpose of this research project was to establish a set of survey grade GPS measurements

for communities around Prince Edward Island (PEI), documenting the high water level

associated with recent storm surge events. Once gathered, these measurements can be used

to (1) identifying areas at risk, (2) aid in generating return periods and probabilities of

occurrence of flood levels, (3) document and inventory coastal vulnerability, and (4) use these

data to construct inundation maps of the storm events and future sea-levels incorporating

climate change.

2

Figure 1: Location of the survey grade GPS high water marks (red triangles) obtained in the summer of 2011.

The benefits of such a research project include: 1) identifying areas at risk, 2) aid in generating

return periods and probabilities of occurrence of flood levels, 3) document and inventory

coastal vulnerability, and 4) use these data to construct inundation maps of the storm events

and future sea-levels incorporating climate change.

Methods

A list of communities and high water mark descriptions was provided by Don Jardine (DEJardine

Consulting). Mr. Jardine had kept excellent records on past storm surge events and had visited

most sites for the recent storm events of 2010. He provided a list of the communities and dates

of the storm event for the survey. In many cases the wrack line, which is formed by the debris

washed up from the storm (typically consisting of seaweed and grass) was photographed or

measured relative to a static feature (e.g. 10 ft from the building entrance).

The field campaign was conducted July 19-21, 2011 and utilized the PEI High Precision Network

(HPN) of survey control monuments for their GPS base station setup. Researchers from the

3

Applied Geomatics Research Group (AGRG) used a Leica system 530 and 1200 dual frequency

survey grade GPS receivers to obtain Real Time Kinematic (RTK) and post processed positions

(x,y,z) of water marks to a precision of 5 cm. AGRG staff was accompanied by Don Jardine and

Glen Robertson from the PEI Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry during all the

field visits except Souris.

The closest HPN monument to the community was used to establish a GPS base position using

the PEI published coordinates (Table 1, Appendix 2). The RTK system typically could maintain a

radio link between the base and rover receiver up to 11 km with a clear line of site. In many

locations, as a result of obstructions (e.g. building on wharves, topography) this was sometimes

problematic. In those cases where RTK could not be used, we recorded raw satellite

observations with the rover and later in the office used post processing with the base station

observations to determine the position. The precision of 1-5 cm in elevation was maintained

throughout the survey with the exception of the Jan 21, 2000 water level at Mount Stewart. We

could not get a solution to centimetre level precision with post processing so we used the 1.5 m

LiDAR DEM to obtain the ground elevation and assign the water level. For these LiDAR derived

water marks the vertical precision changes from 5 cm to 30 cm in elevation when interpreting

the data. In many locations the actual water line was not GPS accessible (e.g. water mark inside

a building or along an edge of a bridge). In these situations, a GPS elevation was taken on a flat

surface, typically the road or driveway, and a tape measure was used to determine the offset to

the high water line.

GPS positions were processed to an Arc shape point file where each point contains the high

water elevation relative to the Canadian Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1928 (CGVD28) and the

date of the storm event.

Results

The GPS high water surveys have been compiled and provided in the form of a GIS point shape

file. In addition a shape file of the monitoring wells near Summerside has also been provided.

High water sites have been summarized in a table and GPS elevations added (Table 2).

Additional GPS measurements were taken of other features that were not high water marks

such as the Mount Stewart bridge deck and some monitoring wells near Summerside (Table 3).

4

Table 1: PEI High Precision Network (HPN) of survey monuments and coordinates.

ID HPN Location NAD83CSRS_E NAD83CSRS_N NAD83CSRS_Lat NAD83CSRS_Long Ortho_ht Ellip_ht

1 146 Murray River 424137.56 665538.858 46 02 23.7596 62 41 17.4567 72.689 55.53

2 363 Kinross 414267.43 678469.144 46 09 23.5415 62 48 55.0647 34.031 16.64

3 510 Brudenell 431227.897 684440.219 46 12 34.8698 62 35 43.2017 22.9 5.43

4 609 Peakes 416316.925 693607.512 46 17 33.6623 62 47 17.6493 46.689 29.24

5 848 West Cape 294400.608 737360.841 46 40 41.2957 64 22 49.0932 36.591 17.66

6 984 Rice Point 381894.115 676394.569 46 08 16.0211 63 14 03.5380 13.241 -4.75

7 1121 Kildare 322892.594 756419.291 46 51 12.5087 64 00 40.1622 3.139 -15.57

8 1261 Freeland 325043.817 737046.267 46 40 46.0484 63 58 47.1794 11.921 -6.52

9 1344 Birch Hill 332809.607 721459.534 46 32 24.2725 63 52 33.5957 17.989 -0.38

10 1456 Abrams Village 315319.809 711046.741 46 26 39.9367 64 06 07.5046 12.981 -5.71

11 1575 Irishtown 355085.573 717306.279 46 30 16.4854 63 35 06.6741 76.099 58.11

12 1860 Middleton 350868.353 696045.417 46 18 46.8755 63 38 16.3720 49.89 31.76

13 2159 DeSable 367994.569 681794.892 46 11 09.0655 63 24 52.4197 18.19 0.33

14 2402 St. Peters 432486.893 706328.183 46 24 23.5307 62 34 38.9831 48.161 30.92

15 2813 Clearspring 451064.685 712450.094 46 27 37.6300 62 20 06.7976 19.559 2.82

16 3023 Dalvay 394426.638 707375.726 46 25 00.2036 63 04 20.9897 4.801 -13.21

17 3962 Albany 353805.879 690563.468 46 15 50.0867 63 35 57.1288 44.452 26.3

18 3993 Summerside 338004.124 710587.251 46 26 33.9849 63 48 24.5676 15.496 -2.9

19 4068 Hunter River 374984.033 701753.954 46 21 56.5383 63 19 30.3521 69.037 51.24

20 5803 Carl Val Archie 466487.351 703317.974 46 22 37.0265 62 08 08.7690 0 22.74

21 5807 Jones Bldg 389709.81 686932.396 46 13 57.9027 63 08 00.2447 0 7.12

22 19329 Tea Hill 400000.442 683635.18 46 12 11.3975 62 59 59.9794 88.712 71.16

23 19331 Winsloe 386568.19 696060.705 46 18 53.3435 63 10 27.8087 66.955 49.44

24 5802 351612.501 709730.333 46 26 10.2639 63 37 46.7180 0 33.31

25 5804 309032.546 745247.247 46 45 04.4312 64 11 26.3488 0 6.86

26 5808 386819.819 690514.089 46 15 53.7225 63 10 15.4838 0 12.15

27 5809 339936.012 707588.1 46 24 57.4910 63 46 52.6665 0 -6.37

5

Table 2: Survey grade GPS elevation of high water marks

Location Structure Event Elevation (m) CGVD28

Notes

Borden-Carleton

Wharf – shed near the wharf base of shed 02 Jan 2010 2.31 2.63

Campbellton / Stanley Bridge

Hebrides Lane – MacEwen’s Island road 21 Dec 2010 2.11 2.05

Charlottetown

Lower Prince St – Lobster on the Wharf inside restaurant, marked on wall, building raised 36 inches

21 Jan 2000 10:30 AM

2.55

Lower Pownal St – Charlottetown Yacht Club

hydraulic lift on wharf 21 Jan 2000 2.87 2.89

Lower Pownal St – Charlottetown Yacht Club

between 1st and 2nd step at south entrance

06 Dec 2010 1.99

Fernwood

59 Sunset Beach Rd top of well casing 02 Jan 2010 2.50

71 Sunset Beach Rd moss on trees 02 Jan 2010 2.27 2.30 2.45

167 Sunset Beach Rd moss on trees 02 Jan 2010 2.30

Mount Stewart

19 Egan St bottom of step

21 Jan 2000 2.77 2.7 2.47

Extracted from LiDAR, GPS could not get a fixed solution thus the variance in the measurements

North Rustico

Riverview Dr - Wharf 21 Dec 2010 17 Feb 2004

1.97 2.11

Harbourside Dr – Seagull’s Nest Gift Shop

12 inches above baseboard heater on ground

21 Dec 2010 26 Dec 2004

1.99 1.85

6

Location Structure Event Elevation (m) CGVD28

Notes

Savage Harbour

Savage Harbour Rd – wharf area MECL pole (145799) by old sheds

21 Dec 2010 1.64 1.90

Savage Harbour Rd – north of long yellow shed

driveway into wharf 06 Dec 2010 2.08

Cottage Rd and Surfside Lane 46.4333, -62.8516

Cottage 21 Dec 2010 1.82

Souris

#2 Highway – west of Souris West bridge 1 foot below deck of bridge 21 Jan 2000 1.75

Wharf bollard where fisherman attach ropes to tie their boats up

21 Jan 2000 1.74 1.72 1.71

Summerside

Harbour Dr, Holman’s Wharf – Arsenault’s Fish Mart

11 inches above floor 02 Jan 2010 2.14 We do not have this record in our notes thus an estimated water level

Harbour Dr, Holman’s Wharf – Arsenault’s Fish Mart

edge of entrance of store 06 Dec 2010 21 Dec 2010

2.18 1.89

Harbour Dr – Harbour Quay Bldg 18 inches above floor 21 Jan 2000 2.21

Harbour Dr, 102 Queen’s Wharf – JMK Fish Mart

4 inches above floor 02 Jan 2010 21 Dec 2010 06 Dec 2010

1.89 2.30 2.28

Victoria

25 Main St window sill on main floor 21 Jan 2000 03 Jan 2010

2.26 2.26

20 Main St edge of pavement on south side 21 Jan 2000 03 Jan 2010

2.27

1 Nelson St – storage shed 18 inches above floor 02 Jan 2010 2.31

5 Water St water and sand entered building 2 or 3 inches

02 Jan 2010 1.96 Wharf deck elevation

Causeway Rd - west end of causeway where erosion above gabions

storm waves caused erosion within 10 feet of pavement

06 Dec 2010 2.80-3.00 Maximum elevation of extent of erosion

7

Table 3: GPS measurements of features that are not high water marks

Location Structure Elevation (m) CGVD28 Notes Mount Stewart

Main St at River – bridge over Hillsborough River on Rt 22

deck of the bridge for tidal monitoring outer base below bridge

3.31 3.30 1.71

Tie to tidal monitoring in Hillsborough River

Savage Harbour

Savage Harbour Rd - Wharf seaward light post on wharf landward light post on wharf

1.00 1.12 1.25 1.31

Summerside

MacKenzie Drive – Spa site 6 well casings 4.34 3.98 3.81 6.51 6.73 6.37

saltwater intrusion project

Harbour Dr – Silver Fox Yacht Club top of new concrete sea wall 2.20 reference point

8

Souris: The AGRG crew arrived on July 19 and established a GPS base station near Souris over HPN

5803 Carl Val Archie (#20 Appendix 2). Two high water marks from the January 21, 2000 storm

were surveyed in Souris; one at the wharf (1.72 m) and another at the bridge crossing the estuary

(1.75 m) (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Souris high water marks from Jan 21, 2000 storm surge, ~ 1.75 m CGVD28.

9

Mount Stewart: On July 20 the crew, along with Don Jardine, travelled to Peakes to setup a base

station over the 609 HPN monument (#4 Appendix 2). High water marks from the January 21,

2000 storm were then surveyed in Mount Stewart. As well, other points on the bridge at Mount

Stewart were surveyed for a flood risk project (Inland Flood Risk Mapping and Modelling in the

Hillsborough River Basin).

The high water mark at Mount Stewart could not be obtained with GPS, however we obtained

an elevation from the LiDAR DEM of between 2.47-2.77 m. In addition to surveying the high

water mark we also obtained elevations on the Mount Stewart Bridge (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Mount Stewart bridge GPS elevations above CGVD28.

Savage Harbour: Still using the GPS base station over HPN 809 Peakes (#4 Appendix 2), high

water marks from the December 21, 2010 storm were surveyed in Savage Harbour (Figure 4).

Three locations were surveyed, one based on a photograph and recollection of Don Jardine of the

wrack line near an out building (Figure 5), and the others based on eye witness accounts from their

memory. Following our visit, we were also sent photos by Mr. Randy Gallant of the wharf during

the storm (Figure 6).

Mount Stewart

Bridge

10

Figure 4: Savage Harbour GPS high water marks Dec 21, 2010 storm.

11

Figure 5: Photo of the day after the Dec. 21, 2010 storm (upper left DE Jardine) and during normal conditions at Savage Harbour.

Figure 6: Photos of normal conditions at Savage Harbour wharf (top) and during the Dec 21, 2010 storm (bottom) (photo supplied by Mr. Randy Gallant).

Photo Don Jardine

Dec. 22, 2010

12

Campbellton Road: A base station was set up over 1575 HPN at Irishtown (#11 Appendix 2), west

of New London Bay. From this base station, locations in Campbellton Road and North Rustico

were surveyed. Along Campbellton Road, the location where the wrack line came over the road

during the December 21, 2010 storm surge was surveyed. The high water mark (based on a

wrack line) from the December 21, 2010 storm was surveyed along Campbellton Road where

the storm surge caused the water to cross the road (Figure 7).

Figure 7: Campbellton Road high water wrack line debris that was pushed off the road after the Dec. 21, 2010 storm.

North Rustico: High water marks from the December 26, 2004 and December 21, 2010 storms

were surveyed at the Seagull’s Nest Gift Shop (Figure 8). At a shed on the wharf (near the fire

hall), high water marks from the White Juan (February 17, 2004) and the December 21, 2010

storm were surveyed as well (Figure 8). Photos were taken by Don Jardine following the

December 21, 2010 storm (Figures 9 and 10).

Campbellton Road Dec 21, 2010

13

Figure 8: North Rustico survey sites for high water marks from the Dec 21, 2010 (1.99 m) and Dec 26, 2004 (1.85 m) storms.

Figure 9: Photos of North Rustico after the Dec 21, 1010 storm (top left DE Jardine) and under normal conditions. The water mark is still visible in the gift shop (lower right).

Photo Don Jardine

Dec. 22, 2010

14

Figure 10: Photos of North Rustico after the Dec 21, 1010 storm (top left DE Jardine) and under normal conditions (lower photos).

Summerside: A GPS base station was set-up over HPN 3993 Summerside (#18 Appendix 2).

Several high water marks for several storm events were acquired (Figure 11). The JMK Fishmart

and Arsenault Fish Mart were visited and points surveyed for storm events from January 2, 2010

(1.89-2.14 m), December 6, 2010 (2.18-2.28 m) and December 21, 2010 (1.89-2.30 m). At Harbour

Quay, a high water mark as a result of the water backing up through the storm sewer manhole

during the January 21, 2000 storm (2.21 m) was surveyed. For future reference, the top of a new

concrete wall at the Summerside Yacht Club was surveyed.

Six monitoring wells along the coast west of Summerside were also surveyed for a separate

saltwater intrusion project (Figure 12).

Photo Don Jardine

Dec. 22, 2010

15

Figure 11: Map of high water GPS marks for the Summerside area.

Figure 12: GPS elevations (CGVD28) of monitoring wells west of Summerside, blue line denotes the shoreline.

Well field at an abandoned spa near Summerside

16

Fernwood: Using the GPS base station at HPN 3993 Summerside (#18 Appendix 2), high water

marks from the January 2 and 3, 2010 storm in the community of Fernwood, east of where the

power cable from New Brunswick makes landfall (Figure 13). Survey sites were based on evidence

of the water level in the shrubs, as well as wrack line locations and eye witness reports. Wrack

line elevations ranged from 2.27 to 2.45 m CGVD28. We obtained photos of the damage

immediately following the January 2010 storm (Figure 14).

Figure 13: Fernwood high water marks from Jan 3, 2010 storm surge.

17

Figure 14: Fernwood photos immediately following the Jan 3, 2010 storm (top left) and after adding fill to the lot (top right). The lower photos show the rock and other debris placed on the lawn by the surge.

Borden-Carleton: The high water mark from the January 2 and 3, 2010 storm was surveyed in

Borden-Carleton in the summer of 2010 based on information provided by Mr. Steve Dickie of

the PEI Office of Public Safety (Figure 15). The high water elevation for Borden was between

2.31 and 2.63 m CGVD28.

18

Figure 15: Borden-Carleton high water mark from the Jan 2-3, 1010 storm surge.

Charlottetown: On July 21, a GPS base station over HPN 5807 Jones Building (#21 on Appendix 2)

was established in Charlottetown. High water marks were then surveyed at the Charlottetown

Yacht Club and restaurants on the waterfront. The high water mark from January 21, 2000 (2.55-

2.89 m) was marked on one of their crane masts, although the date is incorrect (Figure 16). This

may have included waves. The December 6, 2010 storm was also surveyed.

At the Lobster on the Wharf restaurant, the high water mark from January 21, 2000 was surveyed.

A 2.55 m elevation was obtained from a mark in the inside wall and presumably records a still

water elevation. The December 6, 2010 storm surge had an elevation of 1.99 m. Photos were

obtained during the December 6, 2010 storm surge (Figure 17).

19

Figure 16: High water GPS survey locations for Charlottetown waterfront. Note the date marking the high water line on the crane (lower left photo inset) is incorrect Jan 21, 1999 and should read Jan 21, 2000.

Figure 17: Photo by DE Jardine of the Charlottetown Yacht club damage after the Dec. 6, 2010 storm surge.

20

Victoria: A GPS base station was set-up over HPN 2159 DeSable (#13 Appendix 2). High water

marks from January 21, 2000, January 2 and 3, 2010 and December 6, 2010 were surveyed in

Victoria (Figure 18). The January 3, 2010 storm event produced a high water mark between

2.27 and 2.31 m and the Jan 21, 2000 storm produced a high water mark of 2.26 m. High water

marks associated with erosion along the road-causeway from the December 6, 2010 storm

surge (2.80-3.00 m) were also surveyed.

Figure 18: Victoria high water GPS marks for Jan 21, 2000 and Jan 3, 2010.

21

Conclusions

This project has demonstrated that using RTK survey grade GPS to obtain precise elevations for

past high water storm surge events is a useful method to accurately capture the water level

that flooded the shoreline. We feel the most confidence should be placed with the data

associated with storms that are the most recent or where physical evidence still existed (i.e.

wrack line). For example, Don Jardine visited many sites after the December 21, 2010 storm

and spoke to people to document the high water mark and often supplemented this with

photography. In other cases such as the benchmark January 21, 2000 storm, he obtained

detailed descriptions as were provided for the Souris area. Another source of strong evidence

is where people have placed permanent markers denoting the water level of the January 21,

2000 event such as the Charlottetown Yacht Club, although the date is incorrect on the crane

January 21, 1999, or the “Lobster on the Wharf” restaurant, although they have raised their

building approximately 30 cm. These local adjustments have been taken into account for the

final measurements in this report. In other cases such as the Gift Shop in North Rustico where

the water line mark is still evident on the wall, we have a high degree of confidence in the

elevations of the December 21, 2010 storm. In many locations while surveying in high water

marks, discussions with the local people about other storms would be mentioned and high

water levels indicated. We have done our best to capture these events; however the dates and

elevations are based on people’s recollection where no physical evidence remains as is the case

for the December 26, 2004 and February 17, 2004 storm surges.

Also there is a slight discrepancy in the date of the January 2 or 3, 2010 storm surge. The

barometric pressure dropped to its lowest point approaching midnight on January 2 as well as

the strongest winds, thus the damage occurred late on the night of January 2 and the morning

of January 3. In the GIS layer we denote the date of that storm and high water elevation as

January 3, 2010. This type of work should be conducted annually after the storm season to

capture and document the storm events. Having someone such as Don Jardine track and

document the storms as they occur and capture the evidence to be used to survey the

elevations is critical. High water marks on the south shore and close to Charlottetown could be

compared to the tide gauge records for extreme events to determine the differences in height

of the two methods, wrack line versus gauge. Adjustments could then be applied to one of the

datasets to normalize it to the other so that they could be combined to increase our accuracy of

modeling risk of flooding events.

22

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Don Jardine for showing us the water mark sites. We would like to

thank Steve Dickie for describing the Borden-Carleton site and Nathan Crowell and Peter

McDermott of AGRG for surveying the high water mark.

23

Appendix 1

Figure 19: Example of "wave run-up" (R) and still water level (SWL), top figure. Elevated water levels as a result of a low pressure storm system with extreme winds, lower figure. This causes a storm surge raising the water level above the predicted tide with associated wave set-up and wave run-up at the coast.

24

Appendix 2

Figure 20: Location of PEI HPN survey monuments.