Conclusion
Coastal storm surges are very complex events that consist
of many different components that influence their effect on
properties and assets. Any insurer with policies exposed
to natural catastrophes can benefit from First American
predictive hazard analytics. Using up-to-date geographic
and scientific data, our scientists are able to evaluate
with quantitative techniques the probability of impact at
a property-level. Any insurer that has to account for risk
exposure and determine the cost needed to cover the
risk can utilize First American’s predictive hazard analytics
to help quantify these risks by predicting the chances
of exposure at the property-level. Taking the form of
hazard scores, these analytical models can reduce the
amount of time it takes to contemplate and measure the
accumulation of risk, especially for risk managers and in the
insurance market where underwriting decisions are now
made in a matter of hours rather than days or weeks. Using
predictive analytics from First American can lead to proper
pricing decisions, which can help mitigate future risk of
default, loss or fraud in any industry.
From an insurance perspective, as demonstrated by this
research, American Atlantic and Gulf Coastal cities are at
risk from storm surge. Insurers are largely abandoning the
coastal market. Yet as coastal population density continues
About The First American Corporation
The First American Corporation (NYSE: FAF) is a FORTUNE
500® company that traces its history to 1889. With revenues
of $8.5 billion in 2006, it is America’s largest provider of
business information. First American combines advanced
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and consumers with valuable information products to
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as getting a job, renting an apartment, buying a car or
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visit www.faspatial.com or call 800.447.9599
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Images courtesy of Google Earth.
to grow, so does the need for insurance coverage.
First American has developed a sophisticated approach
to underwriting that allows carriers to make sound risk
decisions that can tap this growing insurance market.
First American’s Coastal Storm Surge Risk provides an
increase in overall granularity by combining five data sets;
Coastal Surge Risk, Hurricane Propensity, Coastal Water
Feature and Mainland Determination, and Elevation into
2010 First American Storm Surge Report
an easy-to-use and understandable scoring method. First
Residential Storm Surge Exposure Estimates for 13 U.S. Cities
American’s Coastal Risk provides insurers a more accurate
property-based methodology to understanding hazard risk
information, so insurers can better understand a property’s
coastal risk exposure for improved underwriting without
resorting to broad brush exclusion strategies.
With Coastal Risk, insurers will not only improve
underwriting decisions, they will be able to: reduce the
potential for loss and adverse selection over traditional
insurance practices, understand their potential for surge
loss, and determine the potential for hurricane losses
resulting from storm surge. Coastal surge and hurricane
propensity files are available for the Atlantic and Gulf
Coastal areas while the other data sets cover all coastal
waters and the Great Lakes.
house, securing a mortgage and opening or buying
a business. The First American Family of Companies,
many of which command leading market share positions
in their respective industries, operates within five primary
business segments, including: Title Insurance and Services,
Specialty Insurance, Mortgage Information, Property
Information and First Advantage. More information about
the company and an archive of its press releases can be
found at www.firstam.com.
Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Understanding Storm Surge 4

Storm-Surge Impact on Insurance 5

Report Methodology 6

13 Cities Reports 8
Gulf Shores, Alabama
Brownsville, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Long Island, New York
Jacksonville, Florida
New Orleans, Louisiana
Charleston, South Carolina
Houston-Galveston, Texas
Tampa, Florida
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Miami-Dade, Florida

1
 On the morning of September 13, 2008, a national
television audience sat on the edge of their living room
chairs as they watched Hurricane Ike come ashore on
Galveston Island, Texas. What would become the third
most costly hurricane to ever hit the U.S., Ike made landfall
over the northern end of Galveston, with hurricane-force
winds extending 120 miles from the center. Ike struck
Texas as a strong Category 2 hurricane, but it was the
Category 4 equivalent storm surge that was the big news
story. As network and cable news showed forecast maps
of the impending deadly surge reaching 20 miles inland,
viewers held their breath hoping the storm wasn’t as dire
Hurricane Ike alerted the nation to the dangers as predicted, and that the residents of Galveston had
evacuated safely.
and devastation of hurricane-driven storm surge.
The storm surge ahead of Ike first came ashore along
the coast of Louisiana, well ahead of Ike’s landfall. Areas
Bluewater Drive on the Bolivar Peninsula following Hurricane Ike. in coastal south-central and southwestern Louisiana, still
recovering from Hurricane Gustav, were re-flooded as a
result of Ike. The hardest-hit areas were in and around
Cameron Parish, which also sustained catastrophic
damage in 2005 from Hurricane Rita and in 1957 from
Hurricane Audrey. Nearly every square inch of the
immediate coastline was flooded heavily once again,
with floodwaters reaching as far north as Lake Charles.
In Galveston, by 4 p.m. CDT on September 12, the rising
storm surge overtopped the 17-foot Galveston Seawall,
which faces the Gulf of Mexico. Although Seawall
Boulevard is elevated above the shoreline, many areas of
town slope down behind the seawall to the lower elevation
of Galveston Island. Despite advance evacuation plans,
an estimated quarter of the city’s residents ignored calls
to evacuate, in spite of predictions that most of Galveston
Island would suffer heavy flooding. Although Ike was still
10 hours from landfall, there was widespread flooding
across the island, including downtown Galveston. Water
was six feet deep inside the Galveston County Courthouse
and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
was flooded.
On the Bolivar Peninsula, in Texas, dozens of people were
rescued as flood waters exceeded 12 feet above sea level
in advance of the hurricane. The peninsula bore the brunt
of Ike’s right-front quadrant, the worst part of a hurricane,
and experienced catastrophic damage. A later survey of
destroyed homes exceeded 80%, and a large number of
people who failed to evacuate in advance of the storm
remained unaccounted for and presumed dead.
The southeast Texas communities of Bridge City, on
Sabine Lake, and large areas of nearby Orange (80 miles
from the centre of landfall) were inundated by the storm
surge. Bridge City saw all but a dozen homes flooded by
the surge. Waterfront areas of Clear Lake were flooded,
with floating debris battering homes and blocking streets.
In the aftermath of Ike, Galveston was left with the dubious
distinction of having had the single worst loss of life
(The Hurricane of 1900) and the third costliest hurricane in
U.S. history, both due to massive storm surge. But beyond
Galveston, up the Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi coast,
the most extensive damages were due not to wind but to
the very same storm surge.
Galveston is not alone in its exposure to storm surge.
The U.S. coastline is rife with areas that are just as
exposed. This report examines 13 different areas along
the East and Gulf Coast of the U.S. and quantifies the
risk these communities face with a focus on residential
exposure and the risk-assessment possibilities ahead of
any storm.

At 2 a.m. CST on September 13, the eye of Hurricane Ike

Image supplied by Pictometry
made landfall over the east end of Galveston Island, with
a high storm surge, and travelled north up Galveston Bay,
along the east side of Houston. People in low-lying areas
who had not heeded evacuation orders were warned by
the weather service that they may “face certain death”
from the overnight storm surge, a statement that turned
out to be true for some unable or unwilling to evacuate.

2 3

A global phenomenon, storm surge is one of the most
disastrous natural flooding events that can occur. The U.S.,
with its exposure to tropical storms along its East and Gulf
Coasts, has long been aware of the horrible consequences
of storm surge. With billions of dollars in insured losses
and countless lives lost to storm surge, the U.S. has seen
more than its fair share of destruction wrought by this
natural catastrophe.
Storm surge is triggered primarily by a combination of
storm systems and tides and can be influenced by the
depth of water off the coastline and by the bathymetry
(or topographical features) of the ocean bottom. As a
hurricane moves across the ocean, the high winds and low
pressure created by the storm act like a straw and create
a mound of water at the center of the storm. The strong
winds inside the hurricane act like a plow, causing water to
“pile-up” along the front of the storm, particularly along
the right-front quadrant. These two effects cause a large
bulge of water to develop. Over deep water, far from land,
this water bulge is allowed to flow away, keeping the rise in
sea level small. As the storm moves closer to shore, where
the water depth is shallow, the water has nowhere to go
and the bulge of water grows. When the hurricane moves
onshore, and particularly if landfall is at high tide, vast
quantities of water are amassed along the coastline and
flood large areas of land. High waves further aggravate
this situation. Where low-lying coastlines are protected
by dikes, seawater cannot flow back into the sea after
Mean Sea Level
4 5
Storm-Surge Impact on Insurance
flooding has occurred. Furthermore, a storm surge will
push up a river estuary and can cause damage over great
distances inland.
Storm surge moves with the forward speed of the
hurricane — typically 10–15 mph. One cubic yard of sea
water weighs 1,728 pounds — almost a ton. Compounding
the destructive power of the rushing water is the large
amount of floating debris that typically accompanies the
surge. Trees, pieces of buildings and other debris float on
top of the storm surge and act as battering rams that can
cave in buildings. The storm surge can begin to rise a day
before the storm hits and affect areas which are not in the
direct path of the hurricane. This is particularly true along
the Gulf of Mexico shore.
While the wind intensity of a hurricane may make up the
majority of headlines as it bowls its way across the Atlantic
towards a major U.S. city, storm-surge inundation will be
the primary culprit to cause residential damage, due to
intense flooding and residual standing water.
17-ft. Storm Tide
15-ft. Surge
2-ft. Normal Tide
Retired insurance agent Norman Broussard and his wife First American Storm Surge Spatial Analytics
Genevieve lived at 154 Brady Drive in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Their home, which they built in the 1960s, was just a First American’s Geographic Information System
short stroll from the picturesque Mississippi Sound. (GIS) experts and staff of Ph.D-level geographers and
When Hurricane Katrina hit, they sought refuge with their hydrologists have developed a state-of-the-art storm
daughter. But when they returned, there was nothing left surge spatial analytic, which generates storm-surge
but the concrete slab — the slab the home used to sit inundation polygons for all counties along the Gulf and
upon. The Broussards filed a claim with State Farm. They Atlantic Coasts. Different from the government-derived
argued that their home and its contents were destroyed by SLOSH model, the First American spatial analytic accounts
the hurricane-force winds. State Farm, Mississippi’s largest for changes in coastal elevations and barriers to inland
insurer, denied the claim. The company asserted that the movement of surge waters, and produces polygons
house had been destroyed by the storm surge, or flood, identifying five zones of storm surge, rated from low
for which coverage was excluded. The Broussards sued. to extreme. Using this data, underwriters can now get
Theirs was the first of the so-called “slab suits” to go to detailed surge-risk scores for specific property locations
trial. The court’s decision, rendered on January 17, 2007, and identify properties that generate high premiums,
was a warning to all carriers handling coastal property. yet are less susceptible to storm-surge damage. Armed
In a directed verdict, Judge L.T. Senter found in favor with this intelligence, insurers can take advantage of the
of the Broussards, reasoning that the insurer could not coastal market opportunities or better quantify their risk.
prove what portion of the loss was due to flooding and While the analytic only produces polygons for storm-surge
what portion to wind. The judge then sent the question of inundation, the First American U.S. River Flood and Storm
punitive damages to the jury, which promptly awarded the Surge Model can model portfolios for both inland flooding
plaintiffs $2.5M (later reduced to $1M). and storm surge and produces both a Probable Maximum
Loss and Average Annual Loss. The analytic featured in this
The impact of this award, plus other pending slab suits, report is best used at the point of underwriting to quickly
forced State Farm into negotiations with 640 other assess risk.
litigants in a class-action suit. According to the insurer,
as of April 2007, they had paid $1.2B to settle claims of
Mississippi policyholders.
The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season that included Katrina
was the most catastrophic ever recorded, and it changed
the way the insurance industry conducts business.
Faced with potential staggering costs and the prospect
of continuing global climate changes, insurers began
abandoning coastal markets — or have created artificial
coastal buffers — in an attempt to exclude properties
vulnerable to storm surge. The difficulty for insurers is
that storm surge cannot be neatly contained by buffers,
as some properties within the buffers may have less
risk and are insurable. Companies that can accurately
identify low-risk coastal properties can provide a valuable
service, while reaping handsome profits. But to seize this
opportunity, insurers must be able to reliably determine
the risk of catastrophic hurricane loss. This can be done
using the advanced data modelling and technology from
First American Spatial Solutions.
Report Methodology
This report examines the exposure of single residential
structures to storm surge within 13 predefined geographic
areas in the U.S. The figures used reflect current structure
value and do not consider replacement costs, contents,
auto, life or business interruption. While wind would
certainly contribute significantly to the loss incurred in the
event of a hurricane, the properties identified in this report
are only those that would be “wet” in a storm-surge event.
First American storm-surge polygons assume the worst-
case scenario for each category of hurricane. This includes:
• Maximum wind speed for each category at time
of landfall
• Right-front quadrant of the storm at landfall
• Peak high tide at time of landfall
First American utilized its extensive database of parcels
to identify the properties that fell within the perimeter
of each category of the storm-surge inundation polygon.
A parcel is the individual property associated with an
address and is the most granular way to identify properties
exposed to natural hazards. First American has mapped
over 123 million properties in the U.S. To determine
residential exposure value, First American Spatial
Solutions — developer of the storm-surge model —
partnered with First American CoreLogic, who provided
residential valuations for the structure. First American then
identified every property contained within each category
of the storm-surge polygon and matched the structure
valuation for each residential structure identified. Each
geographic area was totalled by hurricane category and
the totals were then broken out into individual areas within
each geographic area by category. The final result is the
current value of the total structures exposed to each
storm-surge event.
Loss Processes Considered
While this report examines exposure and not loss, storm
surge can cause massive damage to structures in several
ways that result in a total loss of the structure. The loss
processes involved in a storm-surge event are catastrophic,
and include:
Water Depth: Water can cause many different types of
damage. Absorptive materials, such as drywall, swell
and burst. Electrical systems short circuit. Empty fuel
oil and gas tanks are destabilized and their supply lines
spring leaks. Metals corrode in the salt water. Another
6 7
damage-relevant factor is that the surge waters transport
particulates and are polluted by chemical and/or biological
substances. These substances seep into the smallest
cracks and cavities and are deposited there. Later when
water may be easy to remove during remediation, these
pollutants are not. They eventually damage or destroy
materials. The higher the water level rises, the more the
property gets wet and the greater the resulting damage.
Storm Surge Velocity: Wind-driven water moving at
10–15 mph has tremendous power. A cubic yard of sea
water weighs 1,728 pounds — almost a ton — and it can
easily erode shorelines and banks, and underwash pilings
and slabs. This can result in the collapse of the affected
structure. Large waves breaking on the coastline can also
sweep away entire structures.
Transportation of Debris: Depending on the velocity
of the flow and the ground conditions, storm surge can
deposit large amounts of sand, sediment and gravel in a
structure. Additionally, uprooted tress, pilings, boats, cars
and other large objects often cause damage when swept
up against structures.
Standing Period: After a storm surge, the water which
came on shore can stand for weeks, unable to escape
to the sea, due to levees or other structural barriers like
raised railroad tracks. New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina
was a compelling example of how water can become
trapped in low-lying areas, creating a toxic lake of debris.
The general rule is: the longer water stands, the more
damage it does. Organic materials start to rot, mortar
disintegrates, metals corrode, bacteria multiply very swiftly
depending on water temperature, and watertight buildings
come loose of their moorings as a result of the rising
ground water.
The devastating interplay of these factors results in
unpredictable damages for a property owner.
Geographic Areas Residential Density: Most of the nation’s most densely
populated areas are located along the coast. In fact, 23 of
First American considered several factors when selecting the 25 most densely populated U.S. counties are coastal.
the areas of the U.S. to study, including: Coastal counties average 300 persons per square mile,
much higher than the national average of 98 persons per
Hurricane Probability: First American utilizes a numerical square mile. Since 1980, population density has increased
index equated to a score of low to extreme to assess in coastal counties by 65 persons per square mile, or
relative vulnerability to hurricanes for U.S. coastal by 28%. First American used the United States Office of
counties. The index includes measures of both incidence Management and Budget (OMB) Metropolitan Statistical
and exposure. Incidence is measured by the number of Areas (MSAs) table to identify large populated areas that
landfalling hurricanes impacting a county over the past correlated to the storm-surge vulnerability produced by
century. Exposure is quantified by both population and the model.
property value subject to hurricanes.
First American chose the following geographic areas
Vulnerability: Storm surge is most pervasive in coastal to review:
areas that have a relatively shallow offshore bathymetry,
low-lying coastlines or river estuaries. Surge and wave • Gulf Shores-Mobile, AL
heights on shore are affected by the configuration and • Brownsville, TX
bathymetry of the ocean bottom. A narrow shelf, or one • Corpus Christi, TX
that has a steep drop from the shoreline and subsequently • Myrtle Beach, SC
produces deep water in close proximity to the shoreline, • Wilmington, NC
tends to produce a lower surge, but a higher and more • Long Island, NY
powerful wave. This situation is well exemplified by the • Jacksonville, FL
southeast coast of Florida. Conversely, coastlines along • New Orleans, LA
North America, such as those along the Gulf of Mexico • Charleston, SC
coast from Texas to Florida, have long, gently sloping • Houston-Galveston, TX
shelves and shallow water depths. These areas are subject • Tampa, FL
to higher storm surges, but smaller waves. In deeper • Virginia Beach, VA
water, a surge can be dispersed down and away from • Miami-Dade, FL
the hurricane, however, upon entering a shallow, gently
sloping shelf, the surge cannot be dispersed away, but
is driven ashore by the wind stresses of the hurricane.
Topography of the land surface is another important
element in storm-surge extent. Areas where the land lies
less than a few meters above sea level are at particular
risk from storm-surge inundation. The rainfall effect is
experienced predominantly in estuaries. Hurricanes may
dump considerable rainfall in 24 hours over large areas,
and higher rainfall densities in localized areas. As a result,
watersheds can quickly surge water into the rivers that
drain them. This can increase the water level near the
head of tidal estuaries as storm-driven waters surging in
from the ocean meet rainfall flowing from the estuary.
Gulf Shores, Alabama

Gulf Shores, Alabama

Gulf Shores, Alabama

Category 5 Exposure: $1,154,467,296.00

Hurricane Probability: High

Storm-Surge Vulnerability: High
Residential Density: Medium

A Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir/Simpson schedule
striking the Alabama shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico would
expose over $1.2B worth of residences to storm surge,
affecting nearly 7,000 properties. Even if the hurricane is
only a Category 1, it could cause residents total property
damage of over $932M, affecting over 5,400 homes.
Residential areas that would be most hit by a hurricane
would be the towns of Gulf Shores, Orange Beach,
Fairhope, Foley and Elberta.
In 1906, 1916 and 1926, unnamed hurricanes created a
storm surge of 10 feet along the coast of Alabama. In
1950, Hurricane Baker, a Category 1 storm, came ashore
August 30, with gusts up to 115 mph and produced storm
surge that reached all the way to the panhandle of Florida.
In 1969, Hurricane Camille, one of the most powerful
storms in U.S. history, produced a record storm surge of
24.5 feet above sea level at Pass Christian, Mississippi.
Alabama experienced damage all along U.S. Highway 90,
with 26,000 homes and over 1,000 businesses wiped out
completely. Camille’s large circulation also resulted in a
3 to 5 foot storm surge in Apalachicola, Florida. On
September 12, 1979, Hurricane Frederic passed 45 miles
to the west of Gulf Shores as a Category 3. Storm-surge
damage was reported along 80 miles of coastline from
Mississippi to Florida, with tides 8 to 12 feet above normal.
Near-total property damage occurred along the Alabama
coastline between Fort Morgan and Gulf Shores, the
latter seeing 80% of its buildings completely destroyed.
The causeway linking Dauphin Island to the mainland was
swept away in many areas and 70% of Dauphin Island was
Overhead view of
completely inundated by the storm surge from Camille.
Categories 1–5 storm surge
impacting Gulf Shores and
More recently, the state of Alabama was heavily hit by
Mobile, Alabama.
Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and Katrina in 2005. In 2004, Ivan was
a very powerful and unusual storm. It was the first major
hurricane on record to form as low as 10 degrees latitude.
Ivan broke several hydrological records; it is credited with
possibly causing the largest ocean wave ever recorded, a
91-foot wave that may have been as high as 131 feet, and
the fastest sea-floor current, at 5 miles per hour. High surf
and wind brought extensive damage to Orange Beach,
near the Alabama border with Florida. There, two five-story
condominium buildings were undermined to the point of
collapse by Ivan’s storm surge of 14 feet. Both were made
of steel-reinforced concrete. Debris gathered in piles
along the storm tide, exacerbating the damage when the
floodwaters crashed into homes sitting on pilings. In 2005,
Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana, well to the
west of Mobile, Alabama. However, Mobile was affected
by a storm surge varying from 12 to 16 feet around Mobile
Bay, with higher waves on top. The surge caused significant
flooding several miles inland, along Mobile Bay, as well.

Residential Exposure by Storm Category View of storm-surge impact on

Category Total Properties Affected Total Residential Structure Value downtown Mobile, Alabama.
A direct hit Category 2
Category 1 5,485 $932,245,396.00 hurricane would flood
Category 2 5,571 $945,785,396.00 most of the downtown area.

Category 3 6,068 $1,024,755,196.00

Category 4 6,900 $1,131,645,796.00
Category 5 7,098 $1,154,467,296.00

Top 10 ZIP Codes Affected by Category 5 Storm

Area Name ZIP Properties Affected Residential Structure Value
SUMMERDALE 36580 66 $5,739,700.00
BAY MINETTE 36507 60 $6,855,500.00
SPANISH FORT 36527 83 $23,423,900.00
LILLIAN 36549 187 $26,546,700.00
DAPHNE 36526 160 $30,168,700.00
ELBERTA 36530 416 $38,604,100.00
FOLEY 36535 435 $49,971,900.00 View of residential parcel and
FAIRHOPE 36532 385 $65,490,000.00 storm-surge impact on Gulf
Shores, Alabama 36542, which
ORANGE BEACH 36561 2,103 $419,982,450.00 would see $473M in exposed
GULF SHORES 36542 3,029 $473,759,446.00 residential property in the event
8 of a Category 5 hurricane. 9
Brownsville, Texas

Brownsville, Texas
South Padre/Brownsville, Texas

Category 5 Exposure: $1,723,400,149.00

Hurricane Probability: Extreme

Storm-Surge Vulnerability: High
Residential Density: Low

A Category 5 hurricane striking the Brownsville, Texas area
would expose up to $1.7B worth of residential property
and would affect nearly 24,459 properties. Even if the
hurricane is only a Category 1 storm, it could cause area
residents total property damage of over $182M, affecting
nearly 1,000 homes.
The last major storm surge events occurred in 1933, 1967
and in 1980. In September of 1933, a storm surge of 13 ft
came ashore with a Category 3, killing 40 and injuring 500.
In 1967, Hurricane Beulah made landfall to the south of
Padre Island with winds reaching gusts of up to 136 mph.
Beulah’s strength was seen in the impact the storm surge
had along Padre Island. A total of 31 cuts – new channel
through a barrier island – were observed through the
island, in the portion extending south from a point 30 miles
south of Corpus Christi. The storm surge was found to
have reached a height of at least 18 ft. In 1980, Hurricane
Allen moved inland north of Brownsville, bringing high
tides and winds over the least-populated section of the
Texas coast. Only two deaths were directly attributed to
Allen. The strongest measured winds were gusts up to
129 mph at Port Mansfield, Texas. A storm surge up to 12
ft along Padre Island caused numerous barrier island cuts
and washouts.
Overhead view of
The latest hurricane to hit the area was in July 2008 when Categories 1–5 storm surge
Hurricane Dolly hit extreme South Texas. On July 23, impacting Brownsville
2008, the hurricane made landfall on South Padre Island, and Padre Island, Texas.
Texas as a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds at 85
mph. It continued over the bay (or Laguna Madre) making
landfall on the mainland near the Cameron-Willacy County
line. All the areas of the Rio Grande Valley including South
Padre Island, Brownsville, Port Isabel, Laguna Vista, Los
Fresnos, Bayview, San Benito, Rio Hondo, Arroyo City
and Harlingen were hit with heavy wind and substantial
flooding. Dolly is considered to be the most destructive
hurricane to hit the area in 41 years. The total damage
in Texas was estimated at over $1B also making it the 4th
most destructive Texas hurricane on record based on total
cost.

Residential Exposure by Storm Category

Category Total Properties Affected Total Residential Structure Value
Category 1 984 $182,574,848.00
Category 2 2,458 $370,333,930.00
Category 3 5,428 $564,363,833.00 View of storm-surge impact
on downtown Padre Island.
Category 4 13,587 $1,100,445,605.00 A direct hit Category 2
Category 5 24,459 $1,723,400,149.00 hurricane would flood
most of the downtown
and resort areas.

Top 10 ZIP Codes Affected by Category 5 Storm

Area Name ZIP Properties Affected Residential Structure Value
HARLINGEN 78552 8 $168,561.00
HARLINGEN 78550 132 $19,470,959.00
BROWNSVILLE 78520 339 $23,116,041.00
RIO HONDO 78583 585 $27,268,240.00
SAN BENITO 78586 901 $28,206,626.00
LOS FRESNOS 78566 1,593 $99,198,611.00
PORT ISABEL 78578 1,929 $205,202,969.00
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 78597 921 $235,350,580.00
BROWNSVILLE 78521 9,954 $450,571,054.00
BROWNSVILLE 78526 8,097 $634,846,508.00 View of residential parcel
and storm-surge impact
on 25 miles inland in
Brownsville, Texas 78526,
which would see $634M
in exposed residential
property in the event of
10 a Category 5 hurricane. 11
Corpus Christi, Texas

Corpus Christi, Texas

Corpus Christi, Texas

Category 5 Exposure: $4,653,184,819.00

Hurricane Probability: Extreme

Storm-Surge Vulnerability: High
Residential Density: Medium

A Category 5 hurricane hitting the Corpus Christi area
would expose over $4.5B worth of residential property,
affecting a total of nearly 39,000 properties. Even if the
hurricane is only a Category 1 storm, it could cause Corpus
Christi residents total property damage of over $828M,
affecting over 5,200 homes.
Residential areas that would be most hit by a hurricane
would be the Alice, Port Aransas, Robstown and Corpus
Christi areas.
In 1919, a hurricane hit Corpus Christi making landfall on
September 14, where the eye went inland south of the
city. This unnamed storm was the fourth most intense and
deadly storm of the 20th century. Tides rose 16 ft above
normal and 287 lives were lost. As a main home to a
number of Gulf of Mexico oil refineries and their workers,
the Corpus Christi area was lucky to have avoided most
of Hurricane Ike, which hammered the Texas coastline—in Overhead view of
particular Galveston. Categories 1–5 storm
surge impacting
While Corpus Christi has not been directly hit by a major Corpus Christi, Texas.
hurricane in a number of years it often impacted by
tropical storms, which can also have significant storm
surge, with the latest in 2007 with Tropical Storm Erin.

Residential Exposure by Storm Category

Category Total Properties Affected Total Residential Structure Value
Category 1 5,274 $828,341,745.00
Category 2 7,470 $1,081,646,727.00
Category 3 12,190 $1,681,929,618.00
Category 4 26,250 $3,269,527,283.00
Category 5 38,506 $4,653,184,819.00

Top 10 ZIP Codes Affected by Category 5 Storm

View of storm-surge impact
Area Name ZIP Properties Affected Residential Structure Value
on downtown Corpus
CORPUS CHRISTI 78404 61 $14,613,112.00 Christi. A direct hit Category
CORPUS CHRISTI 78407 810 $21,182,752.00 5 hurricane would flood
only a partial section of the
ROBSTOWN 78380 364 $23,196,810.00 downtown area.
CORPUS CHRISTI 78410 543 $68,994,433.00
CORPUS CHRISTI 78411 1,292 $209,452,663.00
PORT ARANSAS 78373 2,695 $407,444,403.00
CORPUS CHRISTI 78413 5,127 $707,863,805.00
CORPUS CHRISTI 78412 8,532 $832,495,267.00
CORPUS CHRISTI 78418 9,816 $1,142,485,630.00
CORPUS CHRISTI 78414 8,735 $1,194,648,690.00

View of residential parcel

and storm-surge impact on
Corpus Christi, Texas 78414,
which would see $1.1B in
exposed residential property
in the event of a Category
5 hurricane. Note how the
storm surge works back up
the creek system to flood the
12 neighborhood. 13
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Category 5 Exposure: $6,222,639,650.00

Hurricane Probability: Medium

Storm-Surge Vulnerability: High
Residential Density: Medium

A Category 5 hurricane storm surge hitting the Myrtle
Beach area would expose over $6B worth of residences
and inundate over 52,000 properties.
Even if the hurricane is only a Category 1 storm, it could
cause Myrtle Beach residents total property damage of
over $1.4B, affecting over 8,100 homes. Residential areas
that would be most hit by a hurricane would be the North
Myrtle Beach, downtown Myrtle Beach and Murrells Inlet
areas.
severe coastal damage. The highest storm surge was
recorded at Calabash, coincidentally arriving at the highest
lunar tide of the year. About 80 percent of waterfront
dwellings in Myrtle Beach were destroyed and—as a
result of the high storm surge—the low-lying sandy barrier
Overhead view of
islands were completely flooded. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo
Categories 1–5 storm surge
hit the South Carolina coastline. Much of the destruction
impacting Myrtle Beach,
in the Myrtle Beach area was from a 12 to 14 foot storm
South Carolina.
surge in the area. Many beach-front homes built in these
areas were destroyed.

In 1954, Hurricane Hazel made landfall as a Category 4
hurricane near Calabash, North Carolina, close to the
North Carolina/South Carolina state border, halfway
between Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Wilmington,
North Carolina. At landfall, the hurricane brought a storm
surge of over 18 ft to a large area of coastline, producing
The last hurricane to hit South Carolina was in 2004.
Hurricane Charley made multiple landfalls in Florida before
making a final landfall as a hurricane in northeastern
South Carolina. Charley produced a storm tide that was
unofficially measured to up to 7.19 ft in Myrtle Beach.

Residential Exposure by Storm Category

Category Total Properties Affected Total Residential Structure Value
Category 1 8,164 $1,407,824,200.00
Category 2 17,781 $2,580,757,000.00
Category 3 32,330 $4,104,630,050.00
Category 4 44,188 $5,388,003,550.00 View of storm-surge
Category 5 52,278 $6,222,639,650.00 impact on the Black River
and Intercoastal waterway
as it moves up Wiynah
Bay. A direct hit Category
Top 10 ZIP Codes Affected by Category 5 Storm 5 hurricane would cause
catastrophic inland flooding.
Area Name ZIP Properties Affected Residential Structure Value
MYRTLE BEACH 29578 1,155 $88,018,810.00
LONGS 29568 1,713 $152,820,800.00
LITTLE RIVER 29566 2,709 $318,947,100.00
MYRTLE BEACH 29579 3,220 $346,273,000.00
MYRTLE BEACH 29575 5,684 $615,737,100.00
MURRELLS INLET 29576 6,187 $747,922,240.00
MYRTLE BEACH 29572 4,431 $795,999,700.00
MYRTLE BEACH 29588 8,845 $845,299,400.00
MYRTLE BEACH 29577 8,218 $918,666,300.00
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH 29582 7,561 $1,161,409,800.00

View of residential parcel

and storm-surge impact
on North Myrtle Beach,
South Carolina 29582,
which would see $1.1B
in exposed residential
property in the event of
14 a Category 5 hurricane. 15
 Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina

Category 5 Exposure: $8,215,890,025.00

Hurricane Probability: Medium

Storm-Surge Vulnerability: High
Residential Density: Medium

A Category 5 hurricane striking the coastline around
Wilmington, North Carolina would expose over $8B worth
of residences, and would inundate over 43,000 properties
in the area with storm surge. Even if the hurricane is
only a Category 1 storm, it could cause area residents
total property damage of over $1.6B, impacting nearly
7,000 homes.
In a Category 5 hurricane, the Sea Breeze, Silver Lake,
Kirkland and Wilmington areas would be worst hit,
sustaining nearly $6B worth of damage.
North Carolina has a dubious history with hurricanes.
Between 1996 and 1999, North Carolina’s southern
coastline was impacted by more devastating hurricanes
than any other state bordering the Atlantic or Gulf of
Mexico. Bertha, Fran, Bonnie and Floyd all made landfall
along the same stretch of coastline, within approximately
45 miles of each other. But the threat of hurricanes has
not stopped residential development. Hundreds of new
homes and condominiums sit very close to the ocean and
Overhead view of Categories
more are being built everyday. The Wilmington area, while
1–5 storm surge impacting
not directly on the ocean, has a number of streams and
Wilmington, North Carolina.
rivers, all of which flood during the heavy rainfall and with
the push of storm surge from a tropical cyclone. In 1954,
Hazel caused massive destruction along the coastal areas
of North Carolina. More recently, Hurricanes Bertha, Fran,
Bonnie and Floyd cost billions of dollars in damage. In
1999, Floyd produced a storm surge of 9 to 10 feet along
the southeastern portion of the state.

Residential Exposure by Storm Category

Category Total Properties Affected Total Residential Structure Value
Category 1 6,917 $1,679,266,515.00
Category 2 15,384 $3,353,972,240.00
Category 3 22,277 $4,574,811,417.00
Category 4 30,709 $6,059,845,798.00
View of storm-surge impact
Category 5 43,282 $8,215,890,025.00 on the Wilmington Airport
as storm surge travels
up a tributary to the
Cape Fear River. A direct
Top 10 ZIP Codes Affected by Category 5 Storm hit Category 5 hurricane
Area Name ZIP Properties Affected Residential Structure Value would cause catastrophic
inland flooding.
WILMINGTON 28401 972 $90,897,916.00
CASTLE HAYNE 28429 1,808 $176,774,495.00
KURE BEACH 28449 1,759 $287,044,020.00
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH 28480 1,621 $441,666,733.00
CAROLINA BEACH 28428 4,221 $497,198,617.00
WILMINGTON 28403 4,545 $767,053,340.00
WILMINGTON 28405 4,666 $1,090,004,440.00
WILMINGTON 28412 6,539 $1,126,147,190.00
WILMINGTON 28411 6,581 $1,691,960,630.00
WILMINGTON 28409 10,530 $2,043,706,230.00

View of residential parcel

and storm-surge impact on
Wilmington, North Carolina
28409, which would see
$2B in exposed residential
property in the event of a
16 Category 5 hurricane. 17
 Long Island, New York
Long Island, New York

Category 4 Exposure: $10,950,192,608.00

Hurricane Probability: Low

Storm-Surge Vulnerability: Medium
Residential Density: Extreme

There is a consensus among the scientific community that
a Category 5 storm would not be sustainable due to the
cooler waters of the Atlantic. A Category 4 storm, however
rare, is possible would generate significant damage to the
Long Island area of New York, if it were to make landfall.
The storm surge from a Category 4 hurricane slamming
Long Island, which is home to some of New York State’s
wealthiest residences, could cause property damage of
more than $10B to residential properties. Over 369,000
properties could be exposed to the resulting storm surge.
Even if the hurricane is only a Category 1 storm, it could
cause Long Islanders total property damage of over $3.1B.
Residential areas that would be worst hit by the storm
surge include the Southampton, Westhampton, Sag
Harbor, Shelter Island and Water Mill areas of Long Island.
Over 9,000 residences could be affected, causing around
$3B worth of damage.
Long Island was hit with a Category 3 hurricane in the
Fall of 1938. The Great New England Hurricane of 1938
also known as the Long Island Express Storm had storm Overhead view of
surge along the Long Island coastline between 10 to 12 ft Categories 1 – 4 storm
ultimately causing $308M in damage at the time. The area surge impacting
was hit only a few years later by another Category 3 called Long Island, New York.
the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944. This hurricane not
only hit the coastline of Long Island, but moved along to
Rhode Island and ultimately made landfall as a Category
2 in Maine with a total of $100M in damage throughout
these areas. In 1954, Hurricane Carol hit the coast of Long
Island as a very fast-moving Category 3. The storm surge
from this hurricane was reported between 8 to 10 ft caus-
ing $461M in damage.

Residential Exposure by Storm Category

Category Total Properties Affected Total Residential Structure Value
Category 1 95,456 $3,054,306,140.00
Category 2 182,061 $5,823,436,345.00
Category 3 285,675 $8,444,421,334.00
Category 4 367,773 $10,950,192,608.00
Although not reviewed in
this report, a view of storm-
surge impact on Manhattan
Top 10 ZIP Codes Affected by Category 4 Storm Island shows even a
Category 1 storm could
Area Name ZIP Properties Affected Residential Structure Value cause significant flooding if
BROOKLYN 11235 6,290 $240,773,471.00 it were to hit the city directly.

RIVERHEAD 11901 2,789 $258,560,635.00

WESTHAMPTON 11977 710 $294,710,400.00
EAST QUOGUE 11942 1,300 $367,853,653.00
HAMPTON BAYS 11946 1,932 $535,017,462.00
WATER MILL 11976 906 $641,686,885.00
SHELTER ISLAND 11964 1,093 $658,399,640.00
SAG HARBOR 11963 2,555 $785,490,189.00
WESTHAMPTON BEACH 11978 1,971 $1,021,118,430.00
SOUTHAMPTON 11968 2,661 $1,584,677,790.00

View of residential parcel

and storm-surge impact on
Southampton, New York
11968, which would see
$1.5B in exposed residential
property in the event of a
18 Category 4 hurricane. 19
Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

Category 5 Exposure: $16,491,919,613.00

Hurricane Probability: Extreme

Storm-Surge Vulnerability: High
Residential Density: High

A Category 5 hurricane striking the Jacksonville, Florida
area could cause up to $16.5B worth of damage and would
affect over 106,000 properties in the area. Even if the
hurricane is only a Category 1 storm, it could cause area
residents total property damage of over $2.3B, affecting
over 9,000 homes.
In a Category 5 hurricane, seven different areas would
suffer property damage of over $1B, and one — the
Jacksonville Beach area — would suffer property damage
of over $2B.
Jacksonville is one of the few cities on the Eastern coast of
Florida that has been spared from the wrath of hurricanes.
The only recorded hurricane to ever hit the First Coast
directly was Dora, which made landfall on St. Johns County Overhead view of storm
on September 10, 1964 as a Category 1 storm. Dora came surge impacting Jacksonville,
ashore south of Mayport and her northeast winds sent an Florida, note the surge
eight-foot surge into the St. Johns River. moving up the St. John’s River
from a Category 1 storm.

Residential Exposure by Storm Category

Category Total Properties Affected Total Residential Structure Value
Category 1 9,358 $2,273,826,669.00
Category 2 19,057 $4,722,857,374.00
Category 3 49,584 $9,479,807,298.00
Category 4 63,704 $11,129,434,593.00
Category 5 106,698 $16,491,919,613.00

Top 10 ZIP Codes Affected by Category 5 Storm

Area Name ZIP Properties Affected Residential Structure Value View of storm-surge impact
on downtown Jacksonville.
NEPTUNE BEACH 32266 2,274 $464,564,493.00 A Category 3 storm could
JACKSONVILLE 32226 4,322 $709,569,154.00 cause significant flooding
if it were to hit the
JACKSONVILLE 32208 11,702 $988,282,528.00
city directly.
JACKSONVILLE 32224 5,371 $1,066,345,000.00
JACKSONVILLE 32205 9,386 $1,249,860,340.00
ATLANTIC BEACH 32233 6,949 $1,251,312,700.00
JACKSONVILLE 32210 6,780 $1,289,115,360.00
JACKSONVILLE 32225 6,721 $1,584,894,920.00
JACKSONVILLE 32218 14,123 $1,734,039,230.00
JACKSONVILLE BEACH 32250 10,302 $2,372,911,520.00

View of residential parcel

and storm-surge impact on
Jacksonville Beach, Florida
32250, which would see
$2.3B in exposed residential
property in the event of a
20 Category 5 hurricane. 21
 New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

Category 5 Exposure: $17,503,728,621.00

Hurricane Probability: High

Storm-Surge Vulnerability: Extreme
Residential Density: Medium

Assumptions for New Orleans differ from other studies
in this report, in that New Orleans real estate is still
recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Residential values
reflected in this study are total of the land value and
structure value. Additionally, it is assumed in the
methodology that the current levee structure in New
Orleans that has been modified by the Army Corps of
Engineers would not remain intact or would be topped
in the event of a catastrophic hurricane event. Future
changes in the levee structure will be reflected in our 2010
model, which will also utilize data from a 2009 inspection
by our development team.
A lack of coastal irregularities, such as substantial barrier
islands or hills, and the Gulf of Mexico’s flat bottom make
southern Louisiana ideal for storm surge. New Orleans sits
mostly below sea level on the east bank of the Mississippi
River and south of Lake Pontchartrain. A Category 5
hurricane striking the New Orleans area would inundate
$17.5B worth of residences and nearly 85,600 properties
with storm surge. If levees are topped or fail, as they did in
the case of Hurricane Katrina, the water would be trapped
within these areas, causing additional damage. Even if the
hurricane is only a Category 1 storm, it could still innudate
over $16.5B worth of property and affect over 91,000 homes.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina battered the area, causing a
monstrous $85.6B worth of damage, with New Orleans
taking the brunt of the economic and social damage.
On Sunday, August 28, a day before making landfall,
Katrina built up strength in the warm waters of the Gulf
of Mexico and achieved Category 5 status with sustained
winds of about 160 mph as it approached the Gulf Coast.
A record 28-foot storm surge was projected for the New
Orleans area. Katrina weakened slightly to a Category 4
hurricane as it made landfall early Monday, August 29, but
it maintained a storm surge that is only generally found
in Category 5 storms. When the wind speed began to Overhead view of
go down, the storm surge did not dissipate, due to the Categories 1–5 storm surge
water momentum established by the storm in the shallow impacting the Louisiana
water. Although the storm surge to the east of the path coastline.
of the eye in Mississippi was higher, a very significant
surge affected the Louisiana coast. Katrina’s storm surge
inundated all parishes surrounding Lake Pontchartrain,
including St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, St. John the Baptist
and St. Charles Parishes. St. Tammany Parish received a
two-part storm surge: First, as Lake Pontchartrain rose,
the storm blew water from the Gulf of Mexico into the
lake. Second, as the eye of Katrina passed, westerly
winds pushed water into a bottleneck at the Rigolets
Pass, forcing it farther inland. The range of surge levels in
eastern St. Tammany Parish is estimated at 13 to 16 feet.
Katrina’s storm surge led to 53 levee breaches in the levee
system protecting New Orleans and the failure of the
Arpent Canal levee. The major levee breaches in the city
included the 17th Street Canal levee, the London Avenue
Canal, and the wide, navigable Industrial Canal, which left
approximately 80% of the city flooded.

View of storm-surge
impact on downtown New
Residential Exposure by Storm Category Orleans looking towards
Category Total Properties Affected Total Residential Structure Value Bourbon Street. A direct
hit Category 2 hurricane
Category 1 85,600 $16,594,423,116.00 would flood most of the
Category 2 89,880 $17,264,525,951.00 downtown area in the event
of levee failure.
Category 3 91,156 $17,458,335,387.00
Category 4 91,392 $17,490,904,065.00
Category 5 91,487 $17,503,728,621.00

Top 10 ZIP Codes Affected by Category 5 Storm

Area Name ZIP Properties Affected Residential Structure Value
WESTWEGO 70094 6,921 $752,286,673.00
METAIRIE 70006 4,115 $997,319,413.00
NEW ORLEANS 70123 4,294 $1,161,869,870.00
METAIRIE 70002 4,084 $1,201,230,570.00
GRETNA 70056 9,021 $1,532,512,910.00
HARVEY 70058 10,372 $1,605,963,840.00 View of residential parcel
and storm-surge impact in
METAIRIE 70001 9,225 $2,017,313,360.00 the Metairie area of New
MARRERO 70072 16,219 $2,256,220,360.00 Orleans, Louisiana 70005,
which would see $2.3B in
METAIRIE 70003 13,071 $2,337,620,180.00
exposed residential
METAIRIE 70005 7,152 $2,341,710,460.00 property in the event of
22 a Category 1 hurricane. 23
Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

Category 5 Exposure: $19,861,932,800.00

Hurricane Probability: Medium

Storm-Surge Vulnerability: High
Residential Density: Medium

A Category 5 hurricane slamming Charleston, which is
home to some of the most historic neighborhoods in the
U.S. —over 101,000 properties—could affect a total of
$19.8B worth of residences. Even if the hurricane is only a
Category 1 storm, it could cause area residents total
property damage of over $8B. Residential areas that would
be worst hit include Mount Pleasant, Johns Island and
areas in the picturesque City of Charleston.
Hurricanes are a major threat to the Charleston area. The
most notable hurricane was in 1989. Hurricane Hugo,
which also impacted Myrtle Beach, caused severe
destruction in the downtown and suburbs hit Charleston.
Overhead view of
Storm surge inundated the coastline surrounding
Categories 1–5 storm
Charleston with tides reaching 20 ft in the areas between
surge impacting the
Cape Romain and Bulls Bay. It total the damage from the
South Carolina coast
Hugo in South Carolina was $4.2B.
near Charleston, S.C.

Residential Exposure by Storm Category

Category Total Properties Affected Total Residential Structure Value
Category 1 39,156 $8,693,466,100.00
Category 2 58,605 $12,830,647,800.00
Category 3 75,427 $15,793,047,500.00
Category 4 89,870 $18,334,039,700.00
Category 5 101,288 $19,861,932,800.00

Top 10 ZIP Codes Affected by Category 5 Storm

Area Name ZIP Properties Affected Residential Structure Value
FOLLY BEACH 29439 1,964 $472,407,600.00
CHARLESTON 29414 7,163 $920,050,200.00
View of storm-surge impact
CHARLESTON 29403 5,749 $956,891,600.00 on downtown Charleston,
South Carolina. A direct
ISLE OF PALMS 29451 4,626 $1,364,205,100.00
hit Category 4 hurricane
CHARLESTON 29407 11,901 $1,543,912,400.00 would flood most of the
CHARLESTON 29401 4,078 $1,634,113,700.00 downtown area.

CHARLESTON 29412 14,948 $2,187,838,100.00

MOUNT PLEASANT 29466 10,644 $2,220,709,600.00
JOHNS ISLAND 29455 9,842 $3,471,332,700.00
MOUNT PLEASANT 29464 17,566 $3,600,770,700.00

View of residential parcel

and storm-surge impact
on Mount Pleasant,
South Carolina 29464,
which would see $3.6B
in exposed residential
property in the event of
24 a Category 5 hurricane. 25
Houston-Galveston, Texas

Houston-Galveston, Texas

Category 5 Exposure: $20,789,224,262.00

Hurricane Probability: Extreme

Storm-Surge Vulnerability: Extreme
Residential Density: High

A Category 5 hurricane slamming the Houston area
could cause property damage of more than $20B to
residential properties and over 192,000 properties could
be inundated with storm surge.
Residential areas that would be worst hit include League
City, Galveston, parts of Houston and La Porte.
In 2008, Hurricane Ike, the third costliest hurricane ever to
make landfall in the U.S., cost residents of the Galveston
area billions of dollars in property damage, wiping some
of the coastal properties away. Ike made landfall as a
Category 2 hurricane, but had a report storm surge of a
Category 5 overtopping the 17 ft seawall on Galveston
Island. Even if the hurricane is only a Category 1 storm, it
could cause area residents total property damage of over
$2.1B.
Prior to Ike, the Houston-Galveston area has had a long
Overhead view of
history with major hurricanes. In 1900, Galveston was hit
Categories 1–5 storm surge
with the deadliest natural disaster in United States history.
impacting the Galveston
A Category 4 hurricane, the storm surge inundated the
Bay area of Texas.
entire island with 8 to 15 ft tides. At the time, the damage
was estimated to be over $30M. In 1983, Hurricane Alicia
struck Galveston and Houston directly initially making
landfall on the western end of Galveston Island as a
Category 3 causing $2B in damage.

Residential Exposure by Storm Category

Category Total Properties Affected Total Residential Structure Value
Category 1 18,812 $2,145,723,979.00
Category 2 40,738 $4,171,052,765.00
Category 3 88,600 $8,932,221,592.00
Category 4 149,066 $15,799,998,325.00
Category 5 191,709 $20,789,224,262.00

View of storm-surge impact

Top 10 ZIP Codes Affected by Category 5 Storm on the Bolivar peninsula,
the area most impacted by
Area Name ZIP Properties Affected Residential Structure Value
Hurricane Ike. A direct hit
BAYTOWN 77521 6,212 $640,250,099.00 Category 5 hurricane would
FRIENDSWOOD 77546 4,137 $851,000,900.00 flood the whole peninsula
and move 20 miles inland.
DICKINSON 77539 11,024 $939,741,244.00
LAKE JACKSON 77566 9,029 $1,050,179,420.00
SEABROOK 77586 7,103 $1,095,838,400.00
LA PORTE 77571 11,321 $1,133,955,260.00
HOUSTON 77062 7,953 $1,145,202,980.00
HOUSTON 77059 5,730 $1,291,697,920.00
GALVESTON 77554 7,246 $1,328,786,180.00
LEAGUE CITY 77573 18,833 $2,662,140,020.00

View of residential parcel

and storm-surge impact on
League City, Texas 77573,
which would see $2.6B
in exposed residential
property in the event of
26 a Category 5 hurricane. 27
Tampa, Florida

Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida

Category 5 Exposure: $32,996,673,915.00

Hurricane Probability: Extreme

Storm-Surge Vulnerability: High
Residential Density: High

A Category 5 hurricane striking the Tampa shoreline of the

Gulf of Mexico could cause nearly $33B worth of property
damage and inundate nearly 244,000 properties with storm
surge. Eight areas would suffer property damage of over
$1B.
Even if the hurricane is only a Category 1 storm, it could
cause area residents total property damage of over $9.4B,
affecting over 50,000 homes. Residential areas that would
be most hit by a hurricane would be several areas of
Tampa, Palm Harbor and Oldsmar, although other areas
would also be heavily impacted.
The first hurricane to make landfall directly in Tampa was
in 1921. Known as the Tampa Bay Hurricane of 1921, the
Category 2 hurricane brought storm surge of 10 to 12 ft
causing $10B in property damage at the time. Overhead view of
Categories 1–5 storm surge
Tampa was also impacted by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 as impacting the Tampa,
it crossed the southern peninsula of Florida. It hammered Florida area.
the Tampa/Miami area of Florida, causing $43.7B worth
of damage, one of the most destructive United States
hurricanes on record.

Residential Exposure by Storm Category

Category Total Properties Affected Total Residential Structure Value
Category 1 50,294 $9,410,934,262.00
Category 2 86,414 $14,679,313,929.00
Category 3 146,110 $21,796,383,991.00
Category 4 199,205 $27,961,806,345.00
Category 5 244,016 $32,996,673,915.00

Top 10 ZIP Codes Affected by Category 5 Storm

View of storm-surge
Area Name ZIP Properties Affected Residential Structure Value
impact on downtown
SAINT PETERSBURG 33702 7,613 $835,990,300.00 Tampa, Florida. A direct
SAINT PETERSBURG 33706 5,431 $947,845,180.00 hit Category 5 hurricane
would flood most of the
SAINT PETERSBURG 33703 8,495 $1,026,758,830.00 downtown area.
TAMPA 33611 9,406 $1,154,674,630.00
TARPON SPRINGS 34689 8,552 $1,174,396,700.00
TAMPA 33626 6,540 $1,176,455,190.00
OLDSMAR 34677 7,096 $1,185,175,800.00
TAMPA 33615 11,660 $1,208,674,970.00
PALM HARBOR 34685 5,087 $1,265,822,800.00
TAMPA 33629 8,271 $1,449,129,090.00

View of residential parcel

and storm-surge impact
on Tampa, Florida 33629,
which would see $1.4B
in exposed residential
property in the event of
28 a Category 5 hurricane. 29
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Category 5 Exposure: $39,459,092,708.00

Hurricane Probability: Medium

Storm-Surge Vulnerability: High
Residential Density: Medium

VVirginia Beach sits on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth
of the Chesapeake Bay, which is the largest estuary in the
U.S., covering more than 64,000 square miles and spanning
across several states. The Hampton Roads Metropolitan
Statistical Area (officially known as the Virginia Beach-
Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA) is the 34th largest in
the U.S., with a total population of 1,576,370 according to
the U.S. Census.
A Category 5 hurricane striking the Virginia Beach area
could cause over $39B worth of residential damage and
would affect over 250,000 properties in the area. Even
if the hurricane is only a Category 1 storm, it could still
cause area residents total property damage of over $7.4B,
impacting nearly 39,000 homes.
Overhead view of
Virginia has not been seriously hit since Hurricane Floyd Categories 1–5 storm surge
in 1999. The hurricane had storm surge between 9 to 10 ft impacting the Virginia
with total damage of $30–40M caused by flood damage coastline.
from rain, surge and hurricane-spawned tornados.

Residential Exposure by Storm Category

Category Total Properties Affected Total Residential Structure Value
Category 1 39,175 $7,432,137,736
Category 2 118,990 $19,295,071,128
Category 3 179,125 $28,429,989,160
Category 4 235,949 $37,022,371,198
Category 5 250,254 $39,459,092,708

Top 10 ZIP Codes Affected by Category 5 Storm

Area Name ZIP Properties Affected Residential Structure Value
View of storm-surge impact
VIRGINIA BEACH 23451 7999 $1,544,342,600.00 on the Chickahominy River in
VIRGINIA BEACH 23462 13,840 $1,596,765,870.00 Virginia, demonstrating how
far inland a direct hit Category
CHESAPEAKE 23323 10,543 $1,620,218,800.00 1 hurricane would go.
CHESAPEAKE 23321 11,090 $1,922,660,100.00
VIRGINIA BEACH 23452 17,227 $2,373,545,070.00
VIRGINIA BEACH 23454 13,948 $2,399,949,230.00
CHESAPEAKE 23320 14,208 $2,660,677,300.00
VIRGINIA BEACH 23464 19,220 $2,851,125,600.00
CHESAPEAKE 23322 15,177 $2,968,556,100.00
VIRGINIA BEACH 23456 16,084 $3,401,492,180.00

View of residential parcel

and storm-surge impact
on Virginia Beach, Virginia
23456, which would
see $3.4B in exposed
residential property in
the event of a Category 5
30 hurricane. 31
Miami-Dade, Florida

Miami-Dade, Florida
Miami-Dade, Florida

Category 5 Exposure: $53,633,764,539.00

Hurricane Probability: Extreme

Storm-Surge Vulnerability: High
Residential Density: Extreme

If a Category 5 hurricane hits Miami, the cost to property
could be well over $50B, and would affect over 254,000
properties in the area. Even if the hurricane is only a
Category 1 storm, it could cause area residents total
property damage of over $20B, impacting over 55,000
homes.
In a Category 5 hurricane, the Palm Beach, Miami, Palm
Beach Gardens and Jupiter areas would be worst hit,
sustaining well over $12B worth of damage.
The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 hit downtown Miami
Beach and downtown Miami as a Category 4. Storm
surge from the storm was reported up to 15 ft. With every
building in the downtown district damage or destroyed,
property loss at the time was estimated at $100M.
Miami is an area normally associated with severe hurricane
seasons, although it has avoided a heavy one since
Overhead view of Categories
Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which cost $26.5B worth of
1–5 storm surge impacting the
damage in the area due to 17 ft storm surge and heavy
Miami-Dade County area of
winds.
Florida.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall as a Category
1 on the border on Broward and Miami-Dade counties
before heading into the Gulf Coast and hitting Louisiana.
Storm surge along Florida was 3 to 5 ft with property
damage running between $1 and $2B.

Residential Exposure by Storm Category

Category Total Properties Affected Total Residential Structure Value
Category 1 55,368 $19,796,055,135.00
Category 2 83,490 $25,180,236,289.00
Category 3 154,549 $35,669,062,572.00
Category 4 186,427 $42,670,083,295.00
Category 5 254,864 $53,633,764,539.00

Top 10 ZIP Codes Affected by Category 5 Storm View of storm-surge impact

on downtown Miami, Florida.
Area Name ZIP Properties Affected Residential Structure Value
A direct hit Category 5
MIAMI BEACH 33140 2,696 $1,281,211,840.00 hurricane would flood most
of the downtown area.
FORT LAUDERDALE 33301 2,654 $1,320,390,490.00
MIAMI 33176 8,340 $1,403,702,650.00
FORT LAUDERDALE 33308 5,099 $1,570,533,290.00
JUPITER 33477 3,100 $1,604,909,460.00
JUPITER 33458 9,374 $2,031,694,800.00
PALM BEACH GARDENS 33410 7,630 $2,179,529,180.00
MIAMI 33157 16,617 $2,473,332,340.00
MIAMI 33156 6,982 $2,534,740,770.00
PALM BEACH 33480 2,403 $2,717,475,720.00

View of residential parcel

and storm-surge impact on
Palm Beach, Florida 33480,
which would see $2.7B
in exposed residential
property in the event of a
32 Category 5 hurricane. 33