NATURAL DISASTER STUDIES
Volume Six
HURRICANE HUGO: PUERTO RICO, THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS, AND SOUTH CAROLINA
SEPTEMBER 17-22, 1989
Prepared by:
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands:
Joseph H. Golden (Team Leader), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Spring, Maryland
Benigno E. Aguirre, Texas A&M University, College Station
David M. Bush, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
Richard D. Marshall, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland
John L. Vogel, National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland
South Carolina:
Earl J. Baker (Team Leader), Florida State University, Tallahassee
Norbert S. Baer, New York University, New York
Ronald A. Cook, University of Florida, Gainesville
Stephen P. Leatherman, University of Maryland, College Park
Billy R. Manning, Southern Building Code Congress, Birmingham, Alabama
Crane Miller, Attorney, Washington, D.C.
Mark D. Powell, Environmental Research Laboratories/Hurricane Research Division, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, Florida
Jane Slate Siena, The Getty Conservation Institute, Marina del Rey, California
Hsiang Wang, University of Florida, Gainesville
For:
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
Washington, D.C. 1994
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance.
This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Robert M. White is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is acting president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. Robert M. White are chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.
Library of Congress Catalog No. 93-87044
International Standard Book Number 0-309-04475-8
A limited number of copies of this monograph are available from:
Board on Natural Disasters
National Research Council, HA 468
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20418
202/334-1964
Additional copies are available for sale from:
National Academy Press
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Copyright 1994 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
B-266
NATURAL DISASTER STUDIES
An Investigative Series of the Committee on Natural Disasters
The Committee on Natural Disasters and its predecessors, dating back to the committee that studied the 1964 Alaska Earthquake, have conducted on-site studies and prepared reports reflecting their findings and recommendations on the mitigation of natural disaster effects. Objectives of the committee are to:
-
record time-sensitive information immediately following disasters;
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provide guidance on how engineering and the social sciences can best be applied to the improvement of public safety;
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recommend research needed to advance the state of the art in the area of natural disaster reduction; and
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conduct special studies to address long-term issues in natural disasters, particularly issues of a multiple-hazard nature.
EDITOR
Riley M. Chung (1991)
National Research Council
EDITORIAL BOARD
Dennis S. Mileti, Chair
Colorado State University Fort Collins
Norbert S. Baer
New York University New York
Earl J. Baker
Florida State University Tallahassee
Arthur N.L. Chiu
University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu
Hanna J. Cortner
University of Arizona Tucson
Peter Gergely
Cornell University Ithaca, New York
Joseph H. Golden
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Silver Spring, Maryland
Wilfred D. Iwan
California Institute of Technology Pasadena
Ahsan Kareem
University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, Indiana
Dale C. Perry
Texas A&M University College Station
William J. Petak
University of Southern California Los Angeles
Robert L. Schuster
U.S. Geological Survey Denver, Colorado
SPONSORING AGENCIES
Federal Emergency Management Agency
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Science Foundation
COMMITTEE ON NATURAL DISASTERS (1989-1991)
NORBERT S. BAER,
New York University, New York
EARL J. BAKER,
Florida State University, Tallahassee
ARTHUR N. L. CHIU,
University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu
HANNA J. CORTNER,
University of Arizona, Tucson
DANNY L. FREAD,
National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland
PETER GERGELY,
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
JOSEPH H. GOLDEN,
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland
WILFRED D. IWAN,
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
AHSAN KAREEM,
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
DENNIS S. MILETI,
Colorado State University, Fort Collins
DALE C. PERRY,
Texas A&M University, College Station
WILLIAM J. PETAK,
University of Southern California, Los Angeles
ROBERT L. SCHUSTER,
U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado
Staff
RILEY M. CHUNG, Committee Director, 1985-1991
GLENN P. HECTON, Technical Writer
EDWARD LIPP, Editor
KAREN M. MANSKI, Research Aide
SUSAN R. McCUTCHEN, Administrative Assistant
GREGORY A. MOCK, Editor
SHIRLEY J. WHITLEY, Project Assistant
Liaison Representatives
WILLIAM A. ANDERSON,
National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C.
FRED COLE,
Agency for International Development, Washington, D.C.
TERRY FELDMAN,
Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, D.C.
ROBERT D. GALE,
U.S. Department of Agriculture/Forest Service, Washington, D.C.
EDWARD M. GROSS,
National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland
PAUL KRUMPE,
Agency for International Development, Washington, D.C.
ELEONORA SABADELL,
National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C.
RANDALL G. UPDIKE,
U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia
ARTHUR J. ZEIZEL,
Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, D.C.
THE BOARD ON NATURAL DISASTERS*
WALTER R. LYNN (Chair),
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
MARY B. ANDERSON, President,
Collaborative for Development Action, Cambridge, Massachusetts
ALAN G. DAVENPORT, Director,
Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
RICHARD FISKE,
Department of Volcanology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
ROBERT D. HANSON, Chairman,
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
WILFRED D. IWAN,
Department of Earthquake Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
LUCILE M. JONES,
U.S. Geological Survey, Pasadena, California
LESTER B. LAVE,
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
SHIRLEY MATTINGLY, Director of Emergency Management,
City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
ROBERT M. MARSHALL, Vice President,
Distribution, Florida Power & Light Company, Miami, Florida
E.L. QUARANTELLI, Research Professor,
Disaster Research Center, Newark, Delaware
LACY E. SUITER, State Director,
Tennessee Emergency Management Association, Nashville, Tennessee
Staff:
CAROLINE CLARKE GUARNIZO, Director
ROBIN L. ALLEN, Senior Project Assistant
* |
As of May 1992, the National Research Council created the Board on Natural Disasters to provide a focal point for planning, coordination, and representation of the NRC's disaster reduction efforts, and in so doing, enhance its abilities to serve and advice the federal government and others in this critical area. The BOND encompasses and replaces the activities that were formerly those of the Committee on Natural Disasters and the Committee on Earthquake Engineering. |
Acknowledgements
The team members would like to extend their special thanks to the following individuals for their contributions to this report.
PUERTO RICO AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
Peter Black, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Bob Case, National Hurricane Center/National Weather Service/NOAA
Dane Clark, NESDIS/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Lisbeth Crespo, Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources
Dana C. Fagan, University of the Virgin Islands, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
John Fought, GE Government Services, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Miles Lawrence, National Hurricane Center/National Weather Service/NOAA
Israel Matos, National Weather Service Forecast Office, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Frank Marks, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Scott Ordich, FLECOMPRON Eight, U.S. Naval Station, Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico
Jack Parrish, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Mark Powell, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Donna Robertson, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Rafael Rodríquez, U.S. Geological Survey, Marine Geology Project Office, San Juan
Frank Sola, General Offshore Corporation, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Amber Taylor, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
Juan Trias, U.S. Geological Survey, Marine Geology Project Office, San Juan
Aileen Velasco, Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources
Richard Webb, U.S. Geological Survey, Marine Geology Project Office, San Juan
Hugh Willoughby, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
SOUTH CAROLINA
Sim Aberson, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Edward Badolato, The Strom Thurmond Institute, Clemson, South Carolina
Stephen Baig, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Bill Barry, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Wallace Benson, City Councilman, Follys Beach, South Carolina
Mike Black, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Peter Black, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Kathy J. Caldwell, Jones, Edmunds and Associates, Inc., Gainesville, Florida
Joe Cunningham, Electric Cooperatives of Columbia, South Carolina
Robert Dean, University of Florida
Mark DeMaria, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Peter Dodge, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Mill Dowd, University of Florida
Brian Duncan, South Carolina Electric and Gas Company, Charleston
Carlos R. Fredes, Horry County, South Carolina
Ted Fujita, University of Chicago
Patzy Gatch, Charleston County, South Carolina
Grant Goodge, NESDIS/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Climate Data Center, Asheville, North Carolina
Ken Hancuff, Isle of Palms, South Carolina
Commissioner Kin Hill, Public Works, Charleston
Sam Hoerter, Charleston County Aviation Authority
Sam Houston, University of Florida
Brian Jarvinen, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Bill Johnson, Southern Bell Telephone Company, Charleston
Algis N. Kalvaitis, Oceanic and Atmospheric Research/NOAA
Miles Lawrence, National Hurricane Center
Joe Maher, Duke Power Company, Charlotte, North Carolina
Frank Marks, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Israel Matos, National Weather Service Forecast Office, San Juan, Puerto Rico
David McNeil, Carolina Power and Light, Raleigh, North Carolina
Commissioner Graham Rich, Public Works, Charleston
Jill Robbins, South Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper), Myrtle Beach
Richard Shenot, National Weather Service, Charleston, South Carolina
Karl Simmons, Charleston County, South Carolina
John Townsend and staff, National Weather Service, Charleston, South Carolina
Bob Wright, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
HURRICANE HUGO METEOROLOGY CHRONOLOGY
September 9-22, 1991
DATE |
STORM STATUS |
09 |
Strong tropical disturbance off the African coast; intense thunderstorms visible on satellite imagery. |
10 |
Tropical depression forms southeast of Cape Verde Islands; National Hurricane Center begins track of Hugo. |
10 |
Hugo begins westward movement across the eastern Atlantic. |
11 |
Hugo intensifies to tropical storm stage (category 2). |
12 |
Continues westward movement and intensification. |
13 |
Hugo upgraded to full hurricane status (category 3). Located 1,100 nautical miles east of the Leeward Islands. |
14 |
Hugo slows its forward speed, turns west-northwest, and intensifies. |
15 |
NHC upgrades Hugo to category 5 status around midday. |
16-19 |
Hugo passes through the Lesser Antilles and Virgin Islands; eye diameter fluctuates from 30 to 70 km. |
16 |
Hugo approaches the Lesser Antilles; eye well developed. Late evening, Hugo passes over Guadeloupe. |
17 |
Hugo passes over Montserrat and heads west-northwest into the Caribbean Sea as a category 4 hurricane. Forward movement slows and takes a more northwesterly track. |
17-18 |
Hugo batters St. Croix. |
18 |
Hugo slows and makes a trochoidal loop near Frederiksted, St. Croix. Hugo enters Vieques Sound between the islands of Culebra and Vieques in the early morning. Hugo's eye moves over northeastern Puerto Rico between 0800 and 0900 AST. By 1200, Hugo's eye is north of San Juan, over open water. |
19 |
Hugo weakens to category 2 status. |
20 |
Hugo gradually gains strength. |
21 |
At 1200, Hugo is upgraded to a category 3 hurricane. Hugo accelerates and intensifies. Upgraded to category 4 at 1800. Just before midnight, Hugo makes landfall in the Bulls Bay, South Carolina, area as a category 4 hurricane. |
22 |
Hugo crosses South Carolina, following a northwestward track; it passes Columbia, South Carolina, around 0300 EDT. Around sunrise, after passing west of Charlotte, North Carolina, Hugo is downgraded to a tropical storm. |
HURRICANE HUGO WEATHER ANNOUNCEMENT TIMELINE
September 15-21, 1991
Atlantic Standard Time (AST): U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
Eastern Daylight Time (EDT): Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina
DATE |
TIME |
DESCRIPTION |
15 |
1800 |
Hurricane Watch: Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico |
16 |
1500 |
Hurricane Warning: Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico |
17 |
0600 |
Hurricane Warning, Coastal Flood Watch, Flash Flood Watch: Puerto Rico |
1500 |
Hurricane Warning, Coastal Flood Watch, Heavy Surf Advisory, Flash Flood Watch: Puerto Rico |
|
1800 |
Hurricane Warning, Coastal Flood Warning, Heavy Surf Advisory, Flash Flood Watch: Puerto Rico |
|
18 |
0130 |
Hurricane Warning, Coastal Flood Warning, Flash Flood Watch: Puerto Rico |
0300 |
Hurricane Warning, Coastal Flood Warning, Flash Flood Warning: Puerto Rico |
|
19 |
Hugo leaves Puerto Rico and stalls over the Atlantic |
|
20 |
1800 |
Hurricane Watch: St. Augustine, Florida to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina |
21 |
0600 |
Hurricane Warning: Fernandina Beach, Florida to Cape Lookout, North Carolina, Hurricane Watch: south to St. Augustine, Florida and north to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina |
1500 |
Hurricane Warning: extended to Oregon Inlet, North Carolina Hurricane Watch: extended to Cape Henlopen, Delaware Special advisory reports Hugo's winds and forward motion have unexpectedly increased |
LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
AAA
Autoridad de Acueducto y Alcantarillado (Water/Sewer)
AC
Autoridad de Comunicaciones
AEE
Autoridad de Energia Electrica
AFB
Air Force Base
ALERT
automated local evaluation in real time
AMA
Autoridad Metropolitana de Autobuses
ASOS
Automatic Surface Observing System
ASDL
aircraft-satellite data link
AST
Atlantic Standard Time
CMAN
Coastal Marine Automatic Network
CND
Committee on Natural Disasters
CUBC
Caribbean Uniform Building Code
DAC
Disaster Assistance Center
DACO
Puerto Rican Consumer Protection Agency
DOD
Department of Defense
EBS
Emergency Broadcast System
EDT
Eastern Daylight Time
FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
FEMA
Federal Emergency Management Agency
FIRM
flood-insurance rate map
FSMR
fast-scanning microwave radiometer
GMT
Greenwich Mean Time
GOES
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite
HRD
Hurricane Research Division
IFG
Individual and Family Grant
INS
inertial navigation system
IWRS
Improved Weather-Reconnaissance System
LLWAS
Low-Level Wind Shear Alert System
MAR
modernization and associated restructuring
MEOW
maximum envelope of high water
MIC
meteorologist in charge
MRI
mean recurrence interval
MSL
mean sea level
MSLP
minimum sea-level central pressure
NDBO
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Data-Buoy Office
NEXRAD
Next-Generation Weather Radar
NFIP
National Flood-Insurance Program
NHC
National Hurricane Center
NOAA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NSSL
National Severe Storms Laboratory
NWS
National Weather Service
PPI
plan position indicator
PRDNR
Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources
SBA
Small Business Administration
SFMR
stepped-frequency microwave radiometer
SHPO
state historic preservation officer
SLOSH
Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes
SST
sea-surface temperature
USAF
U.S. Air Force
USGS
United States Geological Survey
UTC
coordinated universal time
WAPA
Water and Power Authority (Virgin Islands)
WMO
World Meteorological Organization
WSFO
Weather Service Forecast Office