<p>This study developed a two-dimensional storm surge model for hydrodynamic simulations in port engineering, utilizing an improved Local Time-Stepping (LTS) scheme. The model implements unstructured triangular grids with localized refinement within the engineering area, enhancing computational efficiency through the improved LTS algorithm. Implementation in a Qingdao port demonstrated that, compared with the conventional Global Time-Stepping (GTS) scheme, the LTS approach enhanced computational efficiency by 5.08 times and 3.30 times before and after construction, respectively, reducing computation time by 30–40 hours. Validation results confirm the model’s high accuracy under both astronomical tide and storm surge conditions. Simulations of storm surges during Severe Typhoon Muifa (1109) and Super Typhoon Lekima (2019) further validated the model’s effectiveness. The results indicated that the overall simulation trend of storm surge aligned closely with the observed patterns of water level fluctuations, yielding highly satisfactory results. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) for Typhoon Lekima was 0.0083 m, while for Typhoon Muifa it was 0.0059 m, further demonstrating the model’s accuracy and applicability. The study analyzed the storm surge flow field post-construction using Typhoon Lekima as a case study. This research demonstrates the LTS model’s significant potential and promising applications in storm surge simulations and marine port construction.</p>