87th AMS Annual Meeting

Tuesday, 16 January 2007: 12:00 AM
Patterns of Wind Damage from Hurricane Charley: A Case Study of Charlotte County
206A (Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center)
Burrell E. Montz, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY
When Hurricane Charley swept through Charlotte County, Florida in August, 2004, numerous developments comprised of manufactured homes were devastated. However, the damage within and between developments varied significantly. Differences between parks are to be expected based on the path of the storm. However, differences within parks were more varied than might be expected. This project used three senior living developments as case studies and evaluated spatial patterns of damage using measures of age and size of the home, variables commonly believed to be directly related to ability to withstand high winds, as well as orientation of the home on the site, in an attempt to relate damage to wind direction. Few statistically significant relationships between amount of damage, age, size, and orientation were found. These results have important implications for emergency managers as they plan evacuation times and routes.

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