Flooding is a widespread natural hazard that can cause severe loss and damage to individuals and the natural environment. Compound flooding, which results from the interaction of riverine discharge, storm surge, and extreme rainfall, presents an increasing threat to the Gulf Coast. Moss Point, Mississippi, situated at the confluence of the Pascagoula and Escatawpa Rivers, faces a significant risk of flooding due to its low elevation and proximity to both river systems, as well as the Mississippi Sound. This study investigates how Nature-based Solutions (NbS), hydrologic-hydraulic modeling, and stakeholder knowledge and input can contribute to enhancing flood risk management in the city of Moss Point.

Nature-based solutions can complement stormwater management to help reduce urban flooding while improving environmental sustainability. Stakeholders, including city officials, community members, and stormwater experts, identified areas susceptible to recurrent floods and feasible NbS options that might help mitigate the risk. Rain gardens, bioswales, permeable pavements, and detention ponds are some of the NbS options that stakeholders have already selected. The Personal Computer Stormwater Management Model, PC-SWMM, was chosen out of six hydrologic, hydraulic and hydrodynamic modeling suites to help simulate the performance of the different NbS options and determine the optimal scale for implementation. A newly constructed NbS project at the Kreole Elementary School includes a rain garden and bioswale and performance data is being collected from these installations. Onset pressure loggers were deployed from June to August and October 2025 in the two different NbS areas, with the collected data used for model calibration and validation. 

This study will provide valuable insights on how NbS can reduce flood risk, how data-driven modeling can simulate potential reductions in urban flooding scenarios, and how stakeholder engagement can strengthen flood resilience planning.