New HIDRALERTA prototypes: Peniche and Quarteira

Abstract

Early Warning Systems are crucial disaster-risk-reduction strategies as they allow local authorities to prepare and implement in advance the necessary measures to avoid major destruction and risk for individuals and properties caused by storm events. HIDRALERTA is a forecast, early warning and risk assessment system for port and coastal areas that uses forecasts of sea waves and water levels to evaluate overtopping/flooding events and risks associated with the mooring of ships. The distinguishing feature of this system is that the risk assessment is based on specific parameters related to the actual risk being predicted, such as overtopping discharges, or the ship’s mooring loads, and not only in met-ocean parameters. This work presents the latest prototypes developed for the HIDRALERTA system: Peniche and Quarteira. These new prototypes contribute to reinforcing the spatial coverage of the HIDRALERTA system.