Skip to main content

3D Modeling Aids in Predicting Hurricane Damage

Texas researchers are testing the tool in Galveston, where Hurricane Ike caused billions in damage in 2008.

1 minute read

June 18, 2024, 8:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Building heavily damaged by Hurricane Ike in Galveston, Texas in 2008. | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from USA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons

Researchers in Texas are testing out 3D modeling technology to predict potential hurricane damage and assess the effectiveness of proposed mitigation measures, reports Alyson Chapman in Route Fifty. The team used residential buildings to map out potential flood risk and understand the potential impacts of a flood mitigation project, the ‘Ike Dike,’ designed to shield Galveston from future storms.

An advantage of 3D visualization over other damage modeling methods is that it allows researchers to model specific buildings, accounting for basements, back entrances, and windows. By identifying a residential building’s first-floor elevation level, researchers can predict the physical and financial damage that a hurricane will cause to the specific building.

Expanding the tool to commercial and public buildings can help local officials develop hurricane preparedness plans. Additionally, “As real-time weather forecasts are implemented into the models, researchers may be able to determine when evacuation is necessary and use this data to alert residents.”

Monday, June 17, 2024 in Route Fifty

Texas Flood Plan Shows One in Six Residents Live With Flood Risk

One-fourth of the state’s land falls within 100-year or 500-year floodplains.

May 29, 2024 - The Texas Tribune

New York Flood Control Plan Takes Lessons From the Dutch

The Netherlands has a long history of flood mitigation. U.S. cities, threatened by coastal flooding and erosion, are taking note.

December 24, 2023 - E360

East River Floodgates Rising in NYC

A tour of new infrastructure designed to protect the city’s East Side from catastrophic flooding.

November 6, 2023 - Curbed

New Florida Law Curbs HOA Power

The legislation seeks to cut down on ‘absurd’ citations for low-level violations.

June 16, 2024 - The Guardian

New Tennessee Law Allows No-Cost Incentives for Affordable Housing

Local governments in the Volunteer State can now offer developers incentives like increased density, lower parking requirements, and priority permitting for affordable housing projects.

June 10, 2024 - Nooga Today

Planners’ Complicity in Excessive Traffic Deaths

Professor Wes Marshall’s provocatively-titled new book, "Killed by a Traffic Engineer," has stimulated fierce debates. Are his criticisms justified? Let’s examine the degree that traffic engineers contribute to avoidable traffic deaths.

June 13, 2024 - Todd Litman

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Innovative Housing Showcase Educational Sessions

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.