WHITBY – COASTAL PROCESSES AND FLOOD RISK

[Information extracted from ‘Whitby Coastal Strategy – Sandsend to Abbey Cliff’ High-
Point Rendel report R/932/3/1 (Draft Appendix Report Vol. 1 – Wave climate,
overtopping and flood risk) June 2001].

Relevant elements

Wave and water levels

• Offshore/nearshore wave climate
• Frequently occurring and extreme water levels
• Joint probabilities of extreme waves and water levels
• Sea level rise
Sediments
• Beach behaviour
• Littoral drift
• Coastline changes
• High water mark changes
• Beach profile variations
• Sediment budgets
• Beach
• River sediments
• Balances
Inundation
• Existing coastal defence
• Overtopping of defences
• Target overtopping rates and return periods
• Flood risk along river Esk

Wave and water levels

1. 1 Offshore/nearshore wave climate

The predominant waves originate from just east of north. Between +5o and +25o .
Offshore wave conditions are predicted, and waves at 4 locations nearshore just outside
the harbour. See table 1 for the grid references of the nearshore locations.

Table 1 Locations for predicted shoaling wave climate

Reference point Bed level –8m ODN Bed level –16m ODN
E 489754E 512348N 489913E 513151N
F 490451E 512771N 490598E 512939N

Note that the longer period waves would be expected to have broken in the shallower
water depth.

Point E is located between two shoals – hence the wave heights would be lower than at F
due to energy dissipation on the adjacent shoals.

Significant wave data (offshore) for waves approaching the shoaling locations E and F
are given in Table 2 and the predicted extreme wave conditions, in Table 3.

Table 2 Significant wave data – offshore climate

Point Predominant Mean Wave Largest Wave
significant significant direction significant wave direction
wave period wave height + from height and + from
T(s) Hs (m) North corresponding North
period
E 3-4 0.6 – 0.8 5 – 15 6.2 - 6.4 m -5 to +5
1.0 – 1.2 5 - 15 8.0 – 9.0 s
F 2-3 0.2 – 0.4 -5 to +5 6.0 – 6.2m -5 to +5
3–4 0.6 – 1.2 5 - 15 8.0 – 9.0s

In deep water, the wavelength is given by L = 1.56T2 with T in seconds and L in metres.

Table 3 Extreme wave climate

Return Position E Position E Position F Position F
period Bed –8m Bed –16m Bed –8m Bed –16m
(y)
Ht (m) T (s) Ht (m) T (s) Ht (m) T (s) Ht (m) T (s)
0.025 2.86 6.1 2.96 6.3
0.05 3.18 6.5 3.34 6.7
0.1 3.48 6.8 3.71 7.0
0.2 4.12 7.4 3.99 7.3
0.25 3.87 7.1 4.19 7.5
0.5 4.15 7.4 4.59 7.7 4.55 7.8 4.45 7.6
1 4.42 7.6 4.93 8.0 4.90 8.1 4.80 7.9
5 5.71 8.6 5.57 8.5
10 5.29 8.3 6.03 8.9
20 6.36 9.0 6.22 8.9
100 6.10 8.9 7.10 9.4 7.12 9.7 6.96 9.4
200 6.19 9.1 7.41 9.6 7.39 9.9 7.27 9.5
500 6.48 9.3 7.81 9.7 7.81 10.2 7.68 9.7
These wave heights should be used in conjunction with the joint probabilities of
occurrence of both extreme waves and high water levels (see below).

Table 4 extreme water levels at Whitby

Return period 1 3 10 50 100 200 1000

(y)
Water level 3.3 3.45 3.61 3.85 3.99 4.10 4.31
(m ODN)

1.2 The joint probability of waves and water levels

This is given in Table 5.

Table 5 Joint probability of waves and water levels on shallowest water depth
Joint Water Water Wave height Inshore wave conditions
return level level return period for bed level –8m ODN
period return (m (y) Point E Point F
(y) period ODN) Hs (m) T(s) Hs (m) T (s)
(y)
1 0.025 2.75 1.0 4.34 7.6 4.87 8.1
1 3.3 0.025 2.82 6.1 2.94 6.3
10 0.05 2.85 10.0 5.18 8.3 6.00* 8.9
10 3.61 0.05 3.13 6.5 3.32 6.7
50 0.12 3.0 50 5.73 8.7 6.75* 9.5
50 3.85 0.12 3.5 6.8 3.75 7.1
100 0.15 3.05 100 5.96 8.9 7.07* 9.7
100 3.99 0.15 3.59 6.9 3.91 7.2
200 0.2 3.08 200 6.19* 9.1 7.39* 9.9
200 4.1 0.2 3.71 7.0 4.06 7.4
500 0.2 3.08 500 6.48* 9.3 7.81* 10.2
500 4.25 0.2 3.71 7.0 4.06 7.4
* likely to have broken in this depth of water

Period T

Height H
1.3 Sea level rise

MAFF recommended that the sea level should be considered to rise relative to land at 4-
5m per year. Extreme water levels given in Table 5 should be increased as appropriate by
this sea level rise.

Sediments

Littoral drift is easterly, with material deposited upbeach of the western pier. Some
bypasses and moves into the harbour area in the space between the piers. Some littoral
movement by-passes the piers, but is so far seaward that it moves into deep water – not
depositing on the other side of the eastern pier. Hence leaving the eastern headland
without a protective beach. Offshore transport occurs during storms, but in calmer
weather swell waves return the sand and gravel – thus ensuring that the western beach is
relatively stable, although the level drops by up to 2m in the winter. This occurs in water
depths of up to 7m offshore. The primary supply of beach sediment is via the
offshore/onshore exchange, with littoral movements simply redistributing the material
along beach. The harbour arms in effects operate as large groynes.

Dredging returns demonstrate that significant amounts of sand and shingle settle out in
the lower harbour, downstream of the swing bridge. The finer (silt) materials settle in the
upper harbour area (those from the river flows). In the outer harbour the material is
similar in size to that on the west beach. There is also some evidence that the
sedimentation in the upper harbour is reinforced by material moving into the harbour
from the sea, possibly from cliff erosion.

The littoral drift pattern has built up the beach just west of the harbour arm , despite some
sand passing through the gap between the shore attached pier and the breakwater at the
entrance. Any sand is transported around the level of the low water mark (but at other
tide times).

Overall there may have been some net lowering of beach levels along the western beach
up to the harbour in the last part of the last century. But records are inconclusive.
Estimates of the sediment budget show that there are large volumes of sediment in
movement along the coastline and into and out of the harbours, despite the relative
stability of the beaches.

3. Inundation

3.1 Coastal
Overtopping is the passage of water over the top of sea walls and other structures.
Estimates of the amounts that occur are crucial to the determination of the effectiveness
of the defences. Table 6 illustrates acceptable rates.
FUNCTION and Description
overtopping rate
To avoid
structural damage
1.0 l/s/m Erosion of grass embankments at crest of structure
20 l/s/m Damage if crown protected, back slope unprotected
50 l/s/m Damage if both crown and back slope protected
200l/s/m Damage even if crest paved
Housing
0.03l/s/m A house located immediately behind the wall will not suffer other
than limited damage to windows and glazed doors
0.3l/s/m No damage other than above provided house situated at least 10m
behind the back of the wall
Safety
0.03l/s/m Safe for person to walk immediately behind the seawall
0.1l/s/m Dangerous even for trained personnel on crest of wall
0.2l/s/m Dangerous for vehicles
Where the
landward slope is
unprotected
0.1 l/s/m Safe for Sandy soil with poor turf
1 l/s/m Safe for clayey soils and good grass
10 l/s/m Safe Where clay protective layer, grass and standards as per outer
slope

Table 6 – Overtopping rates and effects/acceptability

Protection is generally recommended for up to a 1:10 year storm event. This gives
overtopping targets of between 1l/s/m and 20l/s/m, but this may need to be adapted
depending on location.

The overtopping of the existing harbour walls is not considered significant, given the
current angle of wave approach, although the east pier may benefit from placed external
rubble to prolong its life. The east cliff rubble is virtually useless even under current
conditions and erosion of the cliff will continue.

3.2 River flood risk

High tides plus a tidal surge (due to low atmospheric pressure) will produce the greatest
risk to flooding around the harbour. The areas at risk are:
• Area around the swing bridge roundabout
• Church Street
• Properties on the east side of the lower harbour.
Scenarios and resultant water levels are as given in Table 7.

Return period of Sea level rise Maximum water

water level (y) level (ODN)
1 0 3.30
50 years 3.55
3 0 3.45
50 years 3.70
10 0 3.61
50 years 3.86
50 0 3.85
50 years 4.10
100 0 3.99
50 years 4.24
200 0 4.10
50 years 4.35
1000 0 4.31
50 years 4.56
Table 7 predicted water levels in Whitby in river/harbour area