Assessment and Quantification of Hurricane Induced Damage to Houses
 

Gregory L.F. Chiu
    Research Assistant Professor, City University of Hong Kong

Sara Jean Wadia-Fascetti
    Assistant Professor, Northeastern University
 

ABSTRACT
 

Significant costs to the public and private sectors due to recent extreme wind events have motivated the need for systematic post-hurricane damage data collection and analysis.  Current post disaster data are collected by many different interested groups such as government agencies, voluntary disaster relief agencies, representatives of media companies, academicians and companies in the private sector.  Each group has an interest in a particular type of data.  However, members of each group collect data using different techniques.  This disparity in data collection does not allow comparisons of data or results of analyses within a group and also prohibits comparison of damage data and information among different groups.  Typically, analyses of data from a given event lead to different conclusions depending upon the definition of damage used by individual investigators and the type of data collected making it difficult for members of groups to compare the results of their analyses with a common language and basis.  A formal method of data collection and analysis—within any single group—would allow comparisons to be made among different individuals, hazardous events and eventually among different groups, thus facilitating the management and reduction of damage due to future disasters.

This research introduces a definition of damage to single family dwellings, and a common method of data collection and analysis suited for groups interested in regional characterization of damage.  The current state-of-data is presented and a rational method for data collection is recommended based on these existing data collection methods.  A fixed-scale damage index is proposed to consider the effects of the structural system, external architectural system, and internal architectural system.  Weight factors and interaction coefficients are assigned and calibrated with case studies of three dwellings damaged by Hurricane Iniki (1992).  The damage index reflects the reduced functionality of a structure as a single family detached dwelling and provides a rational means for evaluation of regional damage due to a single event and damage due to events of different severity.  Evaluation of the damage index and the data available support recommendations for future data collection efforts.
 

Contact Information:

Prof. S. Wadia-Fascetti (swf@neu.edu)
Dept. of Civil & Env. Engineering
Northeastern University
Boston, MA  02115

Reference:

Chiu, G. L. F. and Wadia-Fascetti, S. (accepted for publication) "Assessment and Quantification of Hurricane Induced Damage to Houses."   International Journal of Wind and Structures.

Back to: publications page
Back to: group home page