PROBABILISTIC-BASED HURRICANE RISK ASSESSMENT AND ...

aspects of climate change and may not meet the requirements that may arise due to achanging climate. Therefore, current building codes and standards may need to bereviewed to account for climate change.Several studies have developed and assessed mitigation strategies for residentialconstruction to reduce hurricane damage costs (Stewart et al. 2003, Pinelli et al. 2009,Kilma et al. 2012). For example, Pinelli et al. (2009) found that all mitigation measuresproposed within the study for residential construction could strengthen construction toreduce hurricane damage; however, the cost-effectiveness varies considerably. Unanwaand McDonald (2000) used damage bands to aid in identifying effective mitigationmeasures. These studies find that certain mitigation measures can reduce hurricanedamage costs; however, they do not account for the potential increase in damage costsdue to climate change.Roth (1997) found that if buildings had been up to current standards, approximately 25%to 40% of insurance losses from Hurricane Andrew could have been avoided. Stewart etal. (2003) determined that if buildings are retrofitted to comply with ASCE-7 1988, thehurricane vulnerability can be significantly decreased. The Multi-hazard MitigationCouncil (2005) estimates that for every dollar spent on mitigation to reduce the risk dueto natural hazards translates to four dollars saved. This emphasizes the relevance ofexploring mitigation measures to reduce damage costs to residential constructionanticipated as the result of hurricane hazards, and it can be assumed that similarconclusions can be made regarding the importance of strategies to mitigate losses to theother forms of infrastructure.Limited research has been conducted on the climatic adaptation of residentialconstruction in the U.S. However, some preliminary studies have been conductedinvolving adaptation strategies for transportation and other public infrastructure (CCSP2008, Larsen et al. 2007). The CCSP (2008) finds that adaptation measures could reducethe vulnerability of transportation systems in the U.S. to the increased hurricane activitythat may be expected due to the changing global climate. However, the study does not28