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Eighteen years after Hurricane Charley made landfall in 2004, Hurricane Ian made landfall in nearly the same location, also as a Category 4 hurricane. Unlike Hurricane Charley (2004), water more so than wind was the impetus behind the disaster that unfolded. Despite being a below-design-level wind event, the large windfield drove a powerful storm surge as much as 13 ft high (relative to the NAVD8 vertical datum) in the barrier islands of Sanibel, Ft. Myers Beach, and Bonita Beach. Flooding was extensive along not only the Florida coast, but also well inland into low-lying areas as far north as Duval County and the storm’s second landfall site in South Carolina. As such, Hurricane Ian will likely be one of the costliest landfalling hurricanes of all time in the US, claiming over 100 lives. The impacts from Hurricane Ian were most severe in the barrier islands from the combination of storm surge and high winds, with many buildings completely washed away, and others left to deal with significant scour and eroded foundations. Several mobile/manufactured home parks on the barrier islands fared particularly poorly, offering little to no protection to anyone unfortunate enough to shelter in them. The damage was not restricted to buildings, as the causeways out to the barrier islands were washed away in multiple locations. In contrast, wind damage from Hurricane Ian appears less severe overall relative to other Category 4 storms, perhaps due to a combination of actual wind intensity being less than Category 4 at the surface at landfall, and the improvements in building construction that have occurred since Hurricane Charley struck 18 years earlier. It is notable that extensive losses were in part driven by decades-long construction boom of residential structures in Ft. Myers and Cape Coral since the 1950s and 1960s, expanding communities and neighborhoods encroaching upon vulnerable coastlines. Beyond serving as an important event to validate current and evolving standards for coastal construction, Hurricane Ian provides a clarion call to reconsider the ramifications of Florida's coastal development under changing climate. This project encompasses the products of StEER's response to this event: Preliminary Virtual Reconnaissance Report (PVRR), Early Access Reconnaissance Report (EARR) and Curated Dataset.
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Data Collection from Field Investigations During Debris Removal Operations After Hurricane Ian - Florida:Subtitle
In the wake of Hurricane Ian's catastrophic landfall in September 2022 as a Category 4 storm, the devastation spread from western Cuba to central Florida, generating an overwhelming volume of debris and underscoring the urgent need for robust debris management strategies. In response, our SUMMEER team, through the RAPID project, embarked on collecting comprehensive data on the hurricane's impacts, illegal dumping, and the ensuing debris management efforts in severely affected areas, including North Port, Venice, and Arcadia. Utilizing advanced technologies such as UAVs, 3-D LiDAR scanners, and multispectral and thermal cameras, the RAPID project primarily focused on quantifying uncollected and illegally dumped debris along publicly owned roadways. Conducted over three distinct periods—November 16-18, December 5-7, and January 9-11—the field assessment aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the evolving conditions in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. These specific timeframes enabled us to document not only the immediate aftermath but also the changes over time, thereby facilitating a thorough analysis of the disaster's impact and the effectiveness of the debris management efforts undertaken. This project's comprehensive approach has enabled a detailed analysis of the volume and trajectory of debris, highlighting the dynamics of debris collection and disposal processes. By creating a detailed empirical database, including aerial maps, 3D LiDAR maps, and multispectral and thermal images, this project provides essential data that supports effective cleanup and recovery operations, thereby contributing to more efficient future disaster preparedness and response strategies.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2305113
- PAR ID:
- 10543322
- Publisher / Repository:
- Designsafe-CI
- Date Published:
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- Field Investigation Data in response to Hurricane Ian - Florida SUMMEER - Sustainable Material Management Extreme Events Reconnaissance
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Institution:
- SUMMEER - Sustainable Material Management Extreme Events Reconnaissance
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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