INTRODUCTION
1.3 History of Previous Hurricanes and Mitigation Hurricanes Irma and Maria were only the most recent significant storms to have affected Puerto Rico in the past 100 years. According to the USGS, other notable hurricanes that impacted Puerto Rico include Hurricanes San Ciriaco (1899), San Felipe (1928), San Nicolas (1931), San Ciprian (1932), Santa Clara (1956), Federico (1979), Hugo (1989), Georges (1998), and Irene (2011). Figure 1-11 represents the tracks of historical hurricanes impacting Puerto Rico. The figure shows 28 hurricanes in 166 years, for an average of more than one hurricane every six years.
Figure 1-11: Hurricanes in Puerto Rico since 1851, color-coded by Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind speed category. Data source: NOAA (2018).
1.3.1 Hurricane Hugo On September 18, 1989, Hurricane Hugo crossed the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra as a Category 4 hurricane, impacting the municipalities of Fajardo and Luquillo at the easternmost tip of Puerto Rico (Figure 1-10). Maximum winds over Vieques were estimated at 132 mph (212 kph), with a gust of 170 mph (273 kph) measured from a ship in Culebra’s harbor and sustained winds of 98 mph (158 kph) measured at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Ceiba (National Weather Service 1990). At that time, Hugo was the strongest hurricane to hit Puerto Rico since the 1960s. Hurricane Hugo caused loss of life and great damage to the infrastructure of eastern Puerto Rico, including a large amount of damage to San Juan. Thirty thousand people were made homeless. Eighty percent of wooden buildings on Culebra and Vieques were destroyed. Damage to property is estimated to have been roughly $1 billion in Puerto Rico, not adjusted for inflation (Bureau of Labor Statistics 2018, National Weather Service 1990, Schwab 1994). Electrical distribution lines,
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MITIGATION ASSESSMENT TEAM REPORT
HURRICANES IRMA AND MARIA IN PUERTO RICO