Total water level (TWL) is a way to predict flooding in coastal areas. It works by combining different factors, such as tides, storm surges, sea levels, waves, and inland flooding, into one clear prediction of how high coastal water will rise. This project addresses critical gaps in understanding TWL accessibility in Puerto Rico, and generates insights applicable to coastal flood communication across island communities.
Why We Care
As NOAA releases data products and tools for understanding TWL and the extent of flooding, it is imperative that we understand how end users will interpret, access and apply this information in decision-making contexts. Community-engaged research is crucial to provide a foundational understanding of TWL data and effective service delivery of TWL products.
What We Are Doing
Through NOAA and community stakeholder interviews, the project team will document how language and visuals, communication preferences, functional understanding, and service awareness shape both effective practices and persistent challenges in TWL delivery. Collaborative evaluation sessions with local stakeholders in Puerto Rico will further clarify service delivery challenges and opportunities to more effectively integrate TWL into local-to-regional decision-making contexts.
Benefits of Our Work
The goals of this project are to build strong, lasting partnerships to support future research in Puerto Rico; understand the specific needs and challenges of local decision-makers; create better, more user-friendly ways to share TWL information; and develop a plan to turn this research into practical tools that help NOAA provide better services to the public.
The project is led by Dr. Melissa Kenney with the University of Minnesota and includes co-investigator Dr. Kristin Raub with Northeastern University. The project is part of the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH).