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Free, publicly-accessible full text available June 1, 2026
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Abstract Coastal communities are increasingly vulnerable to hurricanes, which cause billions of dollars in damage annually through wind, storm surge, and flooding. Mitigation efforts are essential to reduce these impacts but face significant challenges, including uncertainties in hazard prediction, damage estimation, and recovery costs. Resource constraints and the disproportionate burden borne by socioeconomically vulnerable groups further complicate retrofitting strategies. This study presents a probabilistic methodology to assess and mitigate hurricane risks by integrating hazard analysis, building fragility, and economic loss assessment. The methodology prioritizes retrofitting strategies using a risk‐informed, equity‐focused approach. Multi‐objective optimization balances cost‐effectiveness and risk reduction while promoting fair resource allocation among socioeconomic groups. The novelty of this study lies in its direct integration of equity as an objective in resource allocation through multi‐objective optimization, its comprehensive consideration of multi‐hazard risks, its inclusion of both direct and indirect losses in cost assessments, and its use of probabilistic hazard analysis to incorporate varying time horizons. A case study of the Galveston testbed demonstrates the methodology's potential to minimize damage and foster equitable resilience. Analysis of budget scenarios and trade‐offs between cost and equity underscores the importance of comprehensive loss assessments and equity considerations in mitigation and resilience planning. Key findings highlight the varied effectiveness of retrofitting strategies across different budgets and time horizons, the necessity of addressing both direct and indirect losses, and the importance of multi‐hazard considerations for accurate risk assessments. Multi‐objective optimization underscores that equitable solutions are achievable even under constrained budgets. Beyond a certain point, achieving equity does not necessarily increase expected losses, demonstrating that more equitable solutions can be implemented without compromising overall cost‐effectiveness.more » « lessFree, publicly-accessible full text available June 1, 2026
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Free, publicly-accessible full text available April 1, 2026
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Free, publicly-accessible full text available April 1, 2026
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Abstract Efficient and accurate building damage assessment is crucial for effective emergency response and resource allocation following natural hazards. However, traditional methods are often time consuming and labor intensive. Recent advancements in remote sensing and artificial intelligence (AI) have made it possible to automate the damage assessment process, and previous studies have made notable progress in machine learning classification. However, the application in postdisaster emergency response requires an end‐to‐end model that starts with satellite imagery as input and automates the generation of large‐scale damage maps as output, which was rarely the focus of previous studies. Addressing this gap, this study integrates satellite imagery, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and deep learning. This enables the creation of comprehensive, large‐scale building damage assessment maps, providing valuable insights into the extent and spatial variation of damage. The effectiveness of this methodology is demonstrated in Galveston County following Hurricane Ike, where the classification of a large ensemble of buildings was automated using deep learning models trained on the xBD data set. The results showed that utilizing GIS can automate the extraction of subimages with high accuracy, while fine‐tuning can enhance the robustness of the damage classification to generate highly accurate large‐scale damage maps. Those damage maps were validated against historical reports.more » « less
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