Damage Assessment and Validation of a Community Resilience Model for Galveston Island under Two Historical Hurricane Scenarios

Abstract

Coastal communities are highly vulnerable to multi-hazard events, particularly hurricanes that impose combined wind, surge, and flooding impacts. Effective community resilience planning requires validated models to assess potential damage and guide mitigation strategies. This study presents a damage assessment and validation framework applied to Galveston Island, using two historical hurricane scenarios. The Holland wind field model was employed to simulate hazard intensity, and fragility functions were mapped to a detailed building inventory for structural vulnerability assessment. Results highlight spatial patterns of damage across multiple states, supporting emergency management and resource allocation. The framework also facilitates validation by comparing simulated outcomes with historical data, enhancing confidence in community-scale resilience modeling.