Nur Yazdani, a civil engineering professor at The University of Texas at Arlington, is leading a team to develop a multi-level, interdisciplinary hurricane damage mitigation model for homes along the Texas coast.
The goal is to help homeowners and other stakeholders determine how best to retrofit houses to withstand damage from high winds, storm surge and flooding caused by hurricanes.
Dr. Yazdani and his team were awarded a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the project. They will use historical storm data to make future predictions based on a home's location and structural type. That information will be integrated into a user-friendly app that recommends specific structural retrofits and estimates potential costs, allowing homeowners to better plan for future storms.
"We hope to provide information that will allow homeowners to make the optimum decisions for their property and financial situation," Yazdani said. "We will look at how to retrofit buildings to withstand both wind and flood damage, unlike current practices that often focus on one or the other. Homeowners and contractors often do not know how to select appropriate home retrofit methods, the location-based risks associated with hurricanes with different return periods, and the associated benefit/cost. Therefore, our work will help increase hurricane resiliency and preparedness for coastal communities."
There are several ways to structurally retrofit homes, such as installing hurricane straps that tie roof trusses to the walls, enhancing connections between roofs and walls, and using impact-resistant windows and doors. Stronger anchors between the walls and foundation can also improve wind and flood resilience, minimizing the risk of homes being damaged or swept off their foundations.
The app will ask homeowners a few simple questions—such as square footage, footprint shape, roof style and building height—and will use that information to recommend optimal retrofit options and cost estimates. These recommendations will be based on projected impacts from 50-year, 100-year and 500-year storm events. For clarity, storm intensity will be represented using the familiar Category 1-5 hurricane scale rather than intervals.
Yazdani's team includes:
- Michelle Hummel, UTA associate professor of civil engineering, who will use modeling to predict storm impacts;
- Chengkai Li, UTA professor of computer science and engineering, who will develop the app;
- C.Y. Choi, UTA economics professor, who will conduct cost-benefit analyses to help communities understand the financial implications of retrofitting; and
- Zhen Cong, professor and chair of the Department of Health Sciences at Chapman University, who will lead community engagement efforts and help promote widespread app adoption.
"We are seeing more severe weather events, and storm surge, high winds and flooding during hurricanes are having a devastating impact on Texas coastal communities," said Melanie Sattler, professor and chair of the UTA Civil Engineering Department.
"This collaboration could make a real difference in the impact on people and property and reduce the economic impact of hurricanes in the future."
— Jeremy Agor, College of Engineering
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
Celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2025, The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. With a student body of over 41,000, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation's top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.
