Pressure suppression pools used in nuclear reactors are subject to hydrodynamic processes involving complicated free surface configurations. A new numerical method, SOLA-VOF, developed to handle such problems is described and evaluated through comparisons with laboratory test data. Results from numerous computations provide a detailed understanding of the hydrodynamic phenomena associated with boiling water reactor vent-clearing processes. In addition, calculations show the sensitivity of the results to variations in the water vapor content, vent submergence depth, vent orifice size, and to the influence of fluid-structure interactions.