ND Storm Tracker Honored

Since before he joined the University in 1990, Joannes J. Westerink, professor of civil engineering and geological sciences has been studying coastal oceanography — modeling circulation and transport in coastal seas and oceans, recording tidal hydrodynamics, and working to accurately predict hurricane storm surge. In February 2007, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco appointed him to the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority (West Bank).

The seven-member board and its counter part, the 11-member East Bank board, serve as the local sponsors for the construction, operation, and maintenance of hurricane, storm damage reduction, and flood control projects in greater New Orleans and Southeastern Louisiana.




Westerink, the co-developer of the Advanced Circulation Model (ADCIRC), which is the authoritative computer model for storm surge, had already been leading the development of more detailed storm surge models of the area to better understand the physics of storm surge development. He has also been involved in studies focusing on levee development for the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration project, the Army’s Interagency Performance and Evaluation Task Force (IPET), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Insurance Program.

His service as co-leader of the IPET team, which evaluated the Hurricane Katrina failures and hurricane protection risk, garnered a special citation from the Army. In April, he received the U.S. Department of the Army Outstanding Civilian Service Award. The award, which recognized his efforts on behalf of the IPET, cited Westerink for “his superior level of performance and tireless devotion which positively impacted IPET project success and contributed greatly to the reconstruction efforts of the New Orleans Hurricane Protection system.”

For more information about ADCIRC or storm surge research at Notre Dame, visit www.nd.edu/~coast.