Grand Bahama after Hurricane Dorian: Interdisciplinary approach to Build Back Better

In collaboration with the University of the Bahamas, we used the Charette model, the Three-point Approach and the conceptual framework: Build Back Better to propose a solution that involves several aspects: Reduced risk overall, increased social cohesion on the island, improved life quality and reduced costs during reconstruction in the...

A hybrid solution for the Galveston Seawall: A study on the reduction of the hydraulic loads by a sand cover at the Galveston Seawall with the use of XBeach

The City of Galveston is protected from extreme storm impact by a 17-km concrete seawall facing the Gulf of Mexico. Recent investigations have shown that the seawall may not be sufficient any more to protect against a 1 in 100 year design storm. Since raising the seawall disconnects the city from the beach and may be very costly, a hybrid...

A conceptual design of the Houston Ship Channel Barrier

The frequency of hurricanes along any 80 km segment of the Coast of Texas is about 1 in 6 years (Roth,2009). On average, 4 major hurricanes (category 3 or higher) occur every century in the Houston-Galveston Region (Needham and Keim, 2011). In addition, the region is very vulnerable: Houston is the fourth biggest city in the US, over 6 million...

Impact Modelling of Hurricane Sandy on the Rockaways: Relating high-resolution storm characteristics to observed impact with use of Bayesian Belief Networks

Hurricane Sandy (2012), which made landfall in New Jersey on October 29th, made devastating impact on the East Coast of the USA and struck major parts of New York City, including the economic centre of Manhattan. The total damage (in the USA and Caribbean) is in excess of 100 billion US$ with estimates ranging between 78 and 97 billion US$ for...

Design of a flood proof storage tank

Some storage tank terminals located in hurricane prone regions were heavily struck by hurricanes. An example is the storage tank terminal of Stolthaven Terminals (Stolt-Nielsen Limited) which is located in New-Orleans and was severely struck by Hurricane Katrina and Isaac. Damage to the terminal was caused by high wind pressures, but mainly due...

Hurricane Surge Risk Reduction For Galveston Bay

More than five years after Hurricane Ike devastated the Galveston Bay Area, the most critical challenge remains; reducing flood vulnerability. In response to Hurricane Ike’s disastrous impact, several structural flood risk reduction strategies have been proposed. Some advocating local solutions, others advocating system-wide coastal barriers....

Alternative designs for hurricane protection systems and building structures in New Orleans

First the demands and the boundary conditions are set for the complete protection system; after that the protection system will be split in the three subsections (primary: peripheral levees, secondary: canal levees and watermanagement and tertiary: structural integrety housing). For each of these protection systems an analysis will be made; this...

Fort Bay, Saba: A study on hurricane condities

Fort Bay harbour is a small harbour, located at the South of the island of Saba. This island is part of the Netherlands Antilles and it is situated in the Caribbean Sea where hurricanes may occur several times a year. Since its construction in 1972, Fort Bay harbour has experienced several hurricanes. Unfortunately some of these hurricanes were...

Golfdoordringing op de kust van Bonaire tijdens een hurricane

Het eiland Bonaire, onderdeel van de benedenwindse eilanden van de Nederlandse Antillen, Hgt op de rand van de Caribbische hurricanegordel. Het risico bestaat dan ook dat het eiland getroffen wordt door een hurricane. Aangezien de westkust van het eiland weinig hoger dan het waterniveau ligt, is er in zo'n geval weinig bescherming tegen de...