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Abstract
Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBF) are an increasingly attractive flood mitigation solution. Barrier islands (BI) are a type of NNBF but information is lacking on the spatial scales at which BI attenuate substantial levels of storm surge. This thesis fills that gap by quantifying scaling relationships between BI characteristics and their flood response for a variety of synthetic storms. Idealized models of coastal landscapes containing BI were generated from a compiled database of BI morphological data. These landscapes, along with synthetic storm surge forcings, were used as inputs to the ADvanced CIRCulation model (ADCIRC). BI morphological parameters were individually adjusted to determine their effect on storm surge inundation. BI reduce maximum water elevations by up to 61% depending on dune height, ratio of inlet width to island length, and storm duration. These results will encourage the use of BI as flood risk reduction infrastructure.