INUNDATION VISUALIZATION IN CHARLESTON COUNTY USING HIGH RESOLUTION DATA SETS

High digital elevation models have been created for Charleston County South Carolina. The models are a combination of the Enhanced USGS digital elevation data and NOAA LIDAR data. The models have been augmented within ArcGIS by using the Charleston County Department of Buildings footprint database. This has allowed the creation of a model the county at an unprecedented scale. The final DEM used in this study has the buildings extruded and is draped with a high resolution aerial photograph so that planners can see the height that flood waters would rise across the county for several scenarios (hurricane and general sea level rise). This type of modeling will provide an excellent tool for emergency managers and planners to communicate the risk of large floods and hurricanes in the low country to the regions residents