Storm Damage to Local Buildings
Lead: Holly Josephs
Counselors: Ning Lin, Jie Gong
This research synthesizes data collected on damages induced by wind, storm surge, riverine flooding, and/or a combination of these factors during Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Michael, and Hurricane Ida. The combination of these data provides a unique opportunity to link hazard exposure with the physical vulnerabilities of residential structures across varying damage mechanisms and structure types. The researchers aim to improve current catastrophic models tailored to the MACH study region, with specific attention to identifying the isolated and combined factors contributing to the damage states of residential homes. Catastrophic modeling plays a vital role in the prediction and estimation of costs of damages and, therefore, the potential cost of insurance premiums.
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MACH Supported Publications
Li, Y., Wang, Y., & Gong, J. (2025). An integrated metric for rapid and equitable emergency rescue during urban flash flooding events. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 118, 105209.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2025.105209
Wang, Y., Josephs, H., Duan, Z., & Gong, J. (2024). The impact of electrical hazards from overhead power lines on urban search and rescue operations during extreme flood events. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 104, 104359.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.104359
Ro, S. H., Li, Y., & Gong, J. (2024). A Machine learning approach for Post-Disaster data curation. Advanced Engineering Informatics, 60, 102427.
DOI: 10.1016/j.aei.2024.102427
Ro, S. H., & Gong, J. (2024). Scalable approach to create annotated disaster image database supporting AI-driven damage assessment. Natural Hazards, 120, 11693–11712.
DOI: 10.1007/s11069-024-06641-x
Li, Y., & Gong, J. Bayesian Geospatial Analysis of Wind Damage to Residential Buildings During Hurricane Harvey. Available at SSRN 4912431 [preprint].
Link: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4912431
Other Publications
Josephs, H., Gong, J., Wang, Y., & Xia, J. (2024). Urban digital twin-based decision support for housing rebuilding choices in catastrophically flooded communities. In Computing in Civil Engineering 2023 (pp. 1-9).
DOI: 10.1061/9780784485248.001
Wang, Y., Gong, J., Josephs, H., & Duan, Z. (2023). A Computational Framework for Identifying Safe Evacuation and Rescue Routes in Catastrophic Urban Flooding Environments. In Computing in Civil Engineering 2023 (pp. 136-143). DOI: 10.1061/9780784485248.017
Presentations
Josephs, H., Laali, A., Chickh-Alchabab, F., & Gong, J. (2025). Enhancing Flood Damage Predictions Using NFIP and LIDAR Data: A Case Study Assessing HAZUS Accuracy during Hurricane Ida. NJCRC 2025 Coastal Flooding Technical Workshop. Stevens Institute of Technology. Hoboken, NJ, USA.
Josephs, H., Li, Y., Wang, Y., Liu, J. & Gong, J. (2025). Robust Water and Wastewater Infrastructure: Analyzing Failure Hotspots and Drivers to Inform Resilience Strategies. New Jersey Water Environment Association Annual Conference. Harrah's Resort. Atlantic City, NJ, USA.
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