In post-hurricane property claims, determining whether structural failure or envelope breach happened from wind forces before storm surge arrived is one of the most contentious forensic questions we encounter.

When a coastal structure suffers catastrophic damage, the timeline is everything. Did high-velocity wind compromise the roof and wall assemblies first, or did hydrodynamic wave action and surge cause the initial failure? Answering that requires specific physical evidence: fastener deformation, directional debris impact patterns, localized pressure coefficients, and watermark elevations correlated directly against meteorological and hydrodynamic data.

Our Wind Doctors, Dr. Ziad Azzi, Dr. Krishna Sai Vutukuru and Dr. Manual Matus break down the exact methodology forensic engineers use to differentiate wind versus wave mechanisms in the field.

This special 2-hour course provides an overview of the inspector’s role in recognizing wind and storm surge-related damage to residential coastal buildings. We cover a basic overview of hurricanes, wind events, and how winds and waves affect properties. Multiple key facts are discussed in order to draw a clear conclusion between wind- and wave-related damage to residential coastal structures.