Hurricane Hugo

This volume provides an account of the 1989 Hurricane Hugo for historical purposes, evaluates the physical phenomena involved and the performance of structures and systems, and identifies and recommends cases where an in-depth study would improve our ability to analyze and forecast such failures.

On the night of September 21, 1989, Hurricane Hugo slammed into the South Carolina coast at Sullivan s Island north of Charleston with winds exceeding 160 miles per hour. The colossal force of the hurricane was punctuated by storm surges ranging from five to ten feet above sea level. At approximately one minute after midnight, Hugo s eye passed over the island, and the charming community oceanside community disappeared beneath the tumultuous sea for nearly an hour. After Hugo left Sullivan s Island in its furious wake, the first news broadcasts from the Charleston area reported that the island and neighboring Isle of Palms were completely destroyed. The Ben Sawyer Bridge the only connection to the island at the time was knocked off its pedestal and rendered useless, and so the hundreds of families who had evacuated the area could not return to their homes to see what, if anything, remained. The recovery process started slowly, and for many it would be a long, arduous journey. Island in the Storm, by local historians Jamie and Dorothy Moore, documents in vivid detail the devastation, loss and eventual rebuilding of this beloved island community. More than fifteen years later, Sullivan s Island s homes and businesses have been restored, but the memory of Hugo s fury will not soon be forgotten."

Building codes and standards in other countries are studied in correlation to the number of casualties suffered during a violent storm. Specifically, Bangladesh is offered as a case study of minimum standards of building construction, while Australia is highlighted for having some of the strictest controls in the world. In 1990 and 1991, hurricanes Hugo, Andrew and Iniki pummeled the United States leveling residences, office buildings, a military base, and shopping areas. The devastation had a profound effect on the local communities, industries and commerce. Judging from the destruction these storms caused to the buildings in the area, it is clear that we still have a great deal to learn about designing structures to withstand hurricanes, typhoons and tornadoes. This book, for both the student and practicing architect or engineer, explores wind velocity typical of storms such as these. The weather conditions are then translated into actual forces on a structure to be used to better design buil