Andrew versus Hugo - damages to residential communities

Abstract

Hugo and Andrew were two of the most costly hurricanes to hit the United States in recorded history. They occurred within a time of three years in 1989 and 1992, respectively. The levels of damage were disproportionately high when compared with past hurricanes of comparable strength. Residential communities, in particular, were most severe. This report documents and compares the nature and causes of structural damages inflicted by these two events. The damage nature was found to be very different. Hugo inflicted very severe water damage on residential structures along the coastal belt spreading over one hundred miles in length. Damage by Andrew, on the other hand, was almost exclusively caused by high wind intensity. Accordingly, the structural damage modes were quite different. A case of reversing the roles of Hugo and Andrew was examined to call attention to the potential hazard of coastal communities. (Document has 70 pages.)