The impact of coastal terrain on hurricane boundary layer winds

The threat of hurricanes is a world-wide problem. In the United States, improved warning systems are credited with a steady decline in storm-caused deaths. But the property losses are increasing dramatically due to the rapid urban development along the hurricane-prone coastal areas. Major joint efforts between wind engineers and atmospheric scientists in research and training are required to curb the damage trend. A primary cause of damage is high surface winds. In this study, a high resolution numerical model is designed to simulate landfalling hurricane boundary layer winds. Many factors may influence the boundary layer wind structure. The present numerical experiments focus on the impact of coastal terrain on the model boundary layer winds. Results suggest that the coastal terrain can significantly alter hurricane surface wind speeds and directions at landfall