Category 4 or 5 Hurricane Rainfall vs. 100 Storm
Category 4 or 5 Hurricane Rainfall vs. 100 Storm
(OP)
My company is currently working on the design for a hospital that is literally within a couple hundred yards of the ocean. We have established the limits of the 100-year floodplain and ensured that the hospital finished floor elevation is several feet above. However, the question has been raised about a correlation between the rainfall created by a category 4 or 5 hurricane and a 100-yr storm event. Is there a correlation? If not, is there any data to show the amount of rainfall generated by a category 4 or 5 hurricane?





RE: Category 4 or 5 Hurricane Rainfall vs. 100 Storm
RE: Category 4 or 5 Hurricane Rainfall vs. 100 Storm
Flooding caused by rainfall is separate from flooding caused by a storm surge.
Hurricanes are categorized by wind speed, so there is no real correlation between the category storm and rainfall. A slow moving tropical storm could drop more rain than a category 5 hurricane. However, the hurricane winds will cause a storm surge independent of excessive rainfall.
There is no such thing as a category 5 rainfall event.
RE: Category 4 or 5 Hurricane Rainfall vs. 100 Storm
RE: Category 4 or 5 Hurricane Rainfall vs. 100 Storm
As for major precipitation, the NWS has a curve of maximum precipitation (worldwide) for different durations, if you have an HMR from them it most likely includes hurricanes in the analysis.
RE: Category 4 or 5 Hurricane Rainfall vs. 100 Storm
Another good reference is the "Coastal Construction Manual, FEMA 55". It is not available on the web but can be ordered. Here is a link for information
http:
I have experienced several, including the eye of a Cat 4 storm.
www.SlideRuleEra.net