Railroad Damage from Two Hurricanes

Abstract

Railroads adjacent to the coast in areas subject to hurricanes are vulnerable to damage from storm surges. Galveston, Texas has been struck by 11 hurricanes which caused minor to severe damage to railroad facilities in the area. Damage from the two most recent of these to cause significant damage, Alicia in 1983 and Ike in 2008, is believed to be representative of hurricane damage to typical railroad facilities in coastal areas. Their effects are described along with actions taken before arrival of the storms to minimize damage and considerations in poststorm recovery. Measures to minimize hurricane damage to railroad facilities, both measures of a permanent nature and those in immediate anticipation of the storm, are effective in limiting damage and reducing the time required to restore normal operations. Damage to railroad track and bridges may not be proportional to the depth of the storm surge.