Our latest research presents a Methodology for Virtual Damage Assessment (VDA) and First-Floor Elevation Estimation, with a case study on Fort Myers Beach, Florida, following the devastation of Hurricane Ian (2022). 🌪🏚
📄 Title: Methodology for Virtual Damage Assessment and First-Floor Elevation Estimation: Application to Fort Myers Beach, Florida, and Hurricane Ian (2022)
👥 Authors: Sebastião Appleton Figueira, Mehrshad Amini, Daniel Cox, and André R. Barbosa
📌 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/NHREFO.NHENG-2310
🔍 What’s in the study?
✔️ We developed a Virtual Damage Assessment (VDA) methodology using pre- and post-storm street-level and aerial imagery to assess structural damage on a scale from DS0 (no damage) to DS6 (complete damage).
✔️ We analyzed 3,408 structures impacted by Hurricane Ian, validating the VDA method through a cross-comparison between engineering students and expert assessments. The results showed that trained students performed as reliably as experts (+/− one damage state classification).
✔️ We introduced a first-floor elevation (FFE) estimation method using imagery, which significantly outperformed the National Structures Inventory estimates (MAE of 1.0 ft vs. 4.27 ft).
✔️ Key findings highlight that distance from the shoreline, building elevation, and year built are strong predictors of structural damage in hurricane-prone coastal areas.
🌍 Why does this matter?
This research provides a cost-effective, scalable approach to post-disaster damage assessment, enabling rapid insights for disaster response, structural resilience analysis, and improved predictive modeling for coastal communities. 🌊🏠
💬 Check out the full paper for details! If you’re working on hurricane damage assessment, virtual inspections, or structural resilience, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Let’s connect and discuss!
#HurricaneResilience #StructuralEngineering #DamageAssessment #DisasterResponse #HurricaneIan #FortMyersBeach
