Casey Dietrich
Associate Professor
- 919-515-5277
- jcdietri@ncsu.edu
- Fitts-Woolard Hall 3105
- Visit My Website
Dr. Dietrich pursues research in the predictive modeling of coastal hazards, especially storm surge, flooding, and erosion along the U.S. Gulf and Atlantic coasts. His models have been used for the design of surge mitigation systems by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, for floodplain risk assessment by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and to support operational forecasting for the Department of Homeland Security. He has also applied these models in forecasting of storm surge, as well as oil transport following the BP spill in 2010.
Dr. Dietrich received three degrees from the University of Oklahoma before moving to the University of Notre Dame for his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering. Then he worked as a postdoctoral researcher and research associate for three years at the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin.
At NC State, Dr. Dietrich teaches courses in fluid mechanics and coastal engineering, including the undergraduate course CE 282 Hydraulics, and the graduate courses CE 580 Coastal Modeling, CE 581 Fluid Mechanics in Natural Environments, and CE 582 Coastal Hydrodynamics.
Education
Civil Engineering
University of Notre Dame
Civil Engineering
University of Oklahoma
Civil Engineering
University of Oklahoma
Journalism
University of Oklahoma
Research Description
My research focuses on applying numerical models to enhance physical understanding of and develop predictive capabilities for coastal engineering processes, especially storm-driven hazards of coastal flooding and erosion. I am a leading developer of the ADvanced CIRCulation (ADCIRC) model, which is used widely for real-time forecasting, analysis and design of coastal infrastructure, and development of risk maps for insurance purposes.
My research has three focii: (1) Extend model capabilities, via how density-driven circulation and transport affect coastal hazards, how coastal erosion is linked with regional circulation, how uncertainties in storm characteristics can propagate into uncertainties in coastal flooding, and how coastal infrastructure is vulnerable to multiple hazards; (2) Improve model efficiency, via how to use higher-resolution information to correct predictions of coastal flooding, and how to optimize the performance of storm surge simulations; and (3) Communicate flooding guidance, via how to use our flooding predictions to support decision-making.
Honors and Awards
- Outstanding Teacher Award, NC State University, 2018
Publications
- Adaptation pathways for climate change resilience on barrier islands
- Anderson, D., Dietrich, J. C., Spiegler, S., & Cothron, C. (2022), Shore and Beach, 2, 16–26. https://doi.org/10.34237/1009012
- Effects of Model Resolution and Coverage on Storm-Driven Coastal Flooding Predictions
- Thomas, A., Dietrich, J. C., Dawson, C. N., & Luettich, R. A. (2022), JOURNAL OF WATERWAY PORT COASTAL AND OCEAN ENGINEERING, 148(1). https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)WW.1943-5460.0000687
- Emulator For Eroded Beach And Dune Profiles Due To Storms
- Gharagozlou, A., Anderson, D. L., Gorski, J. F., & Dietrich, J. C. (2022), JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE, 127(8). https://doi.org/10.1029/2022jf006620
- Numerical extensions to incorporate subgrid corrections in an established storm surge model
- Begmohammadi, A., Wirasaet, D., Poisson, A., Woodruff, J. L. L., Dietrich, J. C., Bolster, D., & Kennedy, A. B. B. (2022, December 28), COASTAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL, Vol. 12. https://doi.org/10.1080/21664250.2022.2159290
- Downscaling of real-time coastal flooding predictions for decision support
- Rucker, C. A., Tull, N., Dietrich, J. C., Langan, T. E., Mitasova, H., Blanton, B. O., … Luettich, R. A., Jr. (2021), NATURAL HAZARDS, 107(2), 1341–1369. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-021-04634-8
- Dynamic load balancing for predictions of storm surge and coastal flooding
- Roberts, K. J., Dietrich, J. C., Wirasaet, D., Pringle, W. J., & Westerink, J. J. (2021), ENVIRONMENTAL MODELLING & SOFTWARE, 140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2021.105045
- Formation of a barrier island breach and its contributions to lagoonal circulation
- Gharagozlou, A., Dietrich, J. C., Massey, T. C., Anderson, D. L., Gorski, J. F., & Overton, M. F. (2021), ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE, 262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107593
- Improving coastal flooding predictions by switching meshes during a simulation
- Thomas, A., Dietrich, J. C., Loveland, M., Samii, A., & Dawson, C. N. (2021), OCEAN MODELLING, 164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2021.101820
- Methodology for Regional Multihazard Hurricane Damage and Risk Assessment
- Nofal, O. M., Lindt, J. W., Do, T. Q., Yan, G., Hamideh, S., Cox, D. T., & Dietrich, J. C. (2021), JOURNAL OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING, 147(11). https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0003144
- Subgrid corrections in finite-element modeling of storm-driven coastal flooding
- Woodruff, J. L., Dietrich, J. C., Wirasaet, D., Kennedy, A. B., Bolster, D., Silver, Z., … Kolar, R. L. (2021), OCEAN MODELLING, 167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2021.101887