Modeling Performance of Residential Wood Frame Structures Subjected to Hurricane Storm Surge

The USGS has reported that in terms of number of deaths and financial losses, floods were the number one hazard in the U.S during the 20th century. Of the 32 flood events characterized, storm surge events were responsible for three — the 1900 Galveston Hurricane, whose surge was responsible for 6,000+ fatalities; a 1938 unnamed hurricane that struck the northeast U.S., responsible for 494 fatalities; and 1969 Hurricane Camille, responsible for 259 fatalities. Katrina's surge claimed over 1,700 lives, devastated coastal Mississippi and led to the levee failures in New Orleans, Louisiana, with heights of 28 feet above sea level. Damage estimates make Hurricane Katrina the costliest hurricane in U.S. history with over $80 billion in total losses. Recent Hurricane Ike is poised to become the third costliest hurricane, with damage estimates between $13 and $21 billion. NOAA reports that much of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts are less than 10 feet above sea level, making continued threats from storm surge a major issue for coastal communities.