- Author
- Marshall, R. D.
- Title
- Hurricane Hugh in the Caribbean--Assessment of Surface Wind Speeds.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Book or Conf
- University of Puerto Rico. NSF Conference. Six Months After Hurricane Hugo--Preliminary Findings, Proceedings. March 12-14, 1990, Univ. of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Rodriquez, L.; Lopez, R., Editors, 1-13 p., 1990
- Keywords
- hurricanes | wind velocity | storm track | structural damage
- Identifiers
- St. Croix; St. Thomas; Vieques, Puerto Rico; Culebra; Puerto Rico; Virgin Islands; Caribbean region
- Abstract
- Hurricane Hugo passed through the U. S. Virgin Islands and eastern Puerto Rico on September 18, 1989. Although damage to the affected areas was extensive, an analysis of surface wind speeds indicates that the actual speeds were far lower than those reported by the news media. Maximum wind speeds over St. Croix correspond to a mean recurrence interval of approximately 300 years. Wind speeds over St. Thomas and northeastern Puerto Rico were equal to or less than the design speeds associated with a 50-year mean recurrence interval. The paucity of reliable surface wind speed measurements in Hurricane Hugo once again emphasizes the need for instrumentation capable of long-term deployment and unattended operation in hurricane-prone areas.