Wanyun Shao

Dec 6, 2024 | nature.com | Md Hakimul Haque |Wanyun Shao |Matthew VanDyke |Feng Hao |Hemal Dey

Machine learning (ML) models can simulate flood risk by identifying critical non-linear relationships between flood damage locations and flood risk factors (FRFs). To explore it, Tampa Bay, Florida, is selected as a test site. The study’s goal is to simulate flood risk and identify dominant FRFs using historical flood damage data as target variable, with 16 FRFs as predictor variables. Five different ML models such as decision tree (DT), support vector machine (SVM), adaptive boosting (AdaBoost), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and random forest (RF) were adopted. RF classifies 2.42% of Tampa Bay as very high risk and 2.54% as high risk, while XGBoost classifies 3.85% as very high risk and 1.11% as high risk. Moreover, the communities reside at low altitudes and near the waterbodies, with dense man-made infrastructure, are at high flood risk. This study introduces a comprehensive framework for flood risk assessment and helps policymakers mitigate flood risk.

Sep 16, 2024 | theinvadingsea.com | Wanyun Shao

By Wanyun Shao, University of AlabamaWarm water in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico can fuel powerful hurricanes, but how destructive a storm becomes isn’t just about the climate and weather – it also depends on the people and property in harm’s way. In many coastal cities, fast population growth has left more people living in areas at high risk of flooding. I am a geographer who studies the human dimensions of climate change and natural disasters.

Sep 14, 2024 | houstonchronicle.com | Wanyun Shao

Buffalo Bayou floods near downtown Houston just after Hurricane Beryl made landfall on July 8 in Houston. The city recorded several inches of rain as the storm whipped through Southeast Texas. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographerWarm water in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico can fuel powerful hurricanes, but how destructive a storm becomes isn’t just about the climate and weather — it also depends on the people and property in harm’s way.

Sep 13, 2024 | insurancejournal.com | Wanyun Shao

Warm water in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico can fuel powerful hurricanes, but how destructive a storm becomes isn’t just about the climate and weather – it also depends on the people and property in harm’s way. In many coastal cities, fast population growth has left more people living in areas at high risk of flooding. I am a geographer who studies the human dimensions of climate change and natural disasters.

Sep 12, 2024 | djc.com | Wanyun Shao

Subscriber content preview Coastal cities face growing hurricane vulnerabilityBy WANYUN SHAOUniversity of Alabama Warm water in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico can fuel powerful hurricanes, but how destructive a storm becomes isn't just about the climate and weather — it also depends on the people and property in harm's way. In many coastal cities, fast population growth has left more people living in areas at high risk of flooding.  . . .