Quantifying the influence of coastal flood hazards on building habitability following Hurricane Irma

This study develops habitability functions to quantify the relationship between hydrodynamic hazards and the probability of buildings becoming uninhabitable following Hurricane Irma. Hydrodynamic conditions, including maximum flood depths, are modelled using Delft3D-FM coupled with the SWAN wave model, and the resulting hazard levels are extracted at building locations. These data are combined with Location-Based Services (LBS) information identifying buildings that became uninhabitable after Hurricane Irma. The analysis shows that maximum unit discharge is generally the strongest predictor of building habitability, outperforming other hazard parameters. It also finds that while the habitability of wooden structures is strongly influenced by hazard intensity, the habitability of concrete structures is not. Overall, the study introduces a novel, data-driven approach for estimating flood-induced building uninhabitability, offering practical insights to support more effective coastal flood preparedness and planning.