Surface wind measurements in three Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005

Detailed observations from surface layer experiments in the path of Atlantic hurricanes are presented in this paper. The purpose is to obtain information that will aid in the reduction of hurricane wind damage to residential structures by providing input for wind tunnel and full-scale flow simulation experiments that assess wind loads on these structures under hurricane conditions. The contents of the paper document the mean flow and turbulence characteristics from data recorded by nine mobile instrumented towers deployed at coastal locations near the anticipated path of each of the three hurricanes (Katrina, Rita, and Wilma) that made landfall on the US coast along the Gulf of Mexico in 2005. Wind data were collected at two elevations (5 and 10 m) from these towers by the Florida Coastal Monitoring Program, a joint research program led by the University of Florida and the Institute for Business and Home Safety.