Energy Infrastructure Damage Analysis for Hurricane Rita

Abstract

In 2005, Hurricane Rita caused significant damage to the energy infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico region. In the context of this investigation, the “energy infrastructure” refers to the offshore oil platforms, refineries, and gasoline supply stations in the region, often referred to as the “petroleum infrastructure,” the natural gas supply lines, and the delivery of electric power. In this paper, we examine the structural damage to the networks as defined by restoration, resilience, and fragility with a focus on the analysis of the electric power delivery disruptions. Our concern is not on the evaluation of risk, but rather to provide those who assess hurricane risk with relevant structural damage prediction models. We provide correlations of hurricane wind speed data with outages. We conclude that high winds alone can create significant damage to the energy infrastructure system.