Damage Characterization: Application to Florida Public Hurricane Loss Model

Florida's population growth in recent decades has produced a steady increase in the concentration of population and infrastructure along its coastline. During this growth period, the vulnerability of the Florida coastline to hurricane impact has been amply demonstrated. The aftermaths unveiled the underlying potential for dramatic economic loss, which is disruptive for the state economy and has created a crisis in the property insurance market. To aid in preparedness efforts, the state of Florida commissioned a group of experts to develop the Florida Public Hurricane Loss Model (FPHLM). This paper describes how hurricane damage prediction techniques were developed and implemented in the vulnerability module of the FPHLM. The module consists of an external damage simulation engine coupled with internal damage and contents damage simulation engines. These components are described in this paper.