VIMS Storm Central
Here's a one-stop shop for background information on how research at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) helps society understand and address the coastal impacts of hurricanes and nor'easters. During storm events, we also provide up-to-the-minute data streams, videos, and photos as conditions allow.
Tidewatch Charts & Map
Monitor, visualize, and predict the magnitude and impacts of coastal flooding at Tidewatch stations in the Chesapeake Bay region, and bring these data to your landscape with The Tidewatch Map©. You can also view data from notable past storms.
Web Cams
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View water levels in real-time in the VIMS Boat Basin. You can also view time-lapse movies from past storms:
November 2009 nor'easter | Hurricane Isabel
VECOS
The Virginia Estuarine and Coastal Observing System (VECOS) at VIMS operates a suite of buoys that record wind speed, wave height, and current velocity for various locations throughout the Chesapeake Bay. VECOS stations at Sweet Hall Marsh and Taskinas Creek provide real-time data through the National Estuarine Research Reserve data system.
Storm Surge & Sea-Level Rise
The long-term rise in sea level in the Chesapeake Bay region increases the probability of coastal flooding from future storms. Visit our Sea-Level Report Cards and the Center for Coastal Resources Management and its AdaptVA website to learn more. Read Planning for Coastal Sea-Level Rise by Drs. John Boon, Harry Wang, and Jian Shen.
Modeling
Researchers at VIMS are striving to develop computer models that can predict a hurricane’s storm tide at the level of individual neighborhoods and streets—a much finer scale than current operational methods.
Tide Charts
Storms that make landfall at or near the time of the astronomical high tide produce the highest storm tides. View our Tide Charts for various locations in the Chesapeake Bay.