Fetch

– Fetch is the distance of open water that the wind acts upon to generate waves. Fetches may be a distance of a few feet to hundreds of miles. All else being equal, a longer fetch will allow larger waves to form.

Flood Tide

– The flood is the portion of the tidal cycle when the tide is rising and water is moving from (in the case of the Texas coast) the Gulf of Mexico into the bay systems.

Flooding, Coastal

– Coastal flooding occurs when low-lying land near the coastline is flooded by seawater.

Freeboard

– Freeboard is the vertical distance between the water surface (or in some cases may be referenced from the wave crest) and the crest of the structure in consideration. For example, the freeboard of a breakwater is typically defined as the vertical distance between the structure crest and the water surface. Alternatively, the freeboard of a bridge span is the open distance between the lowest portion of the span and the water surface.