StEER: Hurricane Ian Early Access Reconnaissance Report (EARR)

Hurricane Ian made landfall near Punta Gorda, FL as a Category 4 hurricane on September 28, 2022, subjecting the Florida west coast to storm surge as high as 13 ft (relative to the mean high water datum) and peak wind gusts of at least 130 mph. The results were catastrophic for a region that had last faced a direct hit from a major hurricane in 2004 (Hurricane Charley). Early estimates indicate economic losses may be as high as $113 billion, and, more tragically, at least 148 fatalities are attributed to Hurricane Ian. This Early Access Reconnaissance Report (EARR) is StEER’s second product from this event and provides an (i) overview of Hurricane Ian, (ii) StEER’s Level 2 response data collection methodology and chronology, (iii) preliminary findings based on the observations generated by its first Field Assessment Structural Team (FAST-1), and (iv) recommendations for continued study of this event by StEER and the wider natural hazard engineering community. Note that all observations and findings provided in this EARR should be considered preliminary and are based on the limited scope of the FAST-1.