Hurricane Wind Damage Mitigation: Research and Outlook

Abstract

The U.S. coast from Maine to Texas is vulnerable to hurricane impacts. Hurricane-induced economic losses have steadily increased in recent decades. At the same time, trillions of dollars have been invested in coastal development to accommodate the increasing population; therefore, the socioeconomic impacts of hurricane landfalls will also escalate. The state of Florida has sustained massive hurricane losses in recent years. Hurricane Wilma, barely a Category 2 hurricane in 2005, amounted to $16 billion in damages in South Florida. These tremendous losses have resulted in unprecedented insurance payouts. The answer to Florida’s hurricane crisis is to strengthen homes and businesses through retrofitting and improved new construction. This requires full-scale, destructive building testing to gain a better understanding of hurricane-induced, wind-rain effects on buildings and structures. Scientific understanding of hurricane effects will lead to innovative design technologies to mitigate hurricane damages. The effectiveness of these technologies must be validated through laboratory testing and performance evaluation of design concepts.