Hurricane

The analysis can compare the timing and location of wind, water, and physical damage evidence. Wind direction and intensity, high-water indicators, flood depths, rainfall records, debris patterns, photographs, and the elevation and location of affected components may help determine which hurricane mechanisms are consistent with particular conditions. Hurricanes can produce several distinct hazards, including high winds, storm surge, heavy rainfall and inland flooding, and tornadoes, so attribution should not assume a single mechanism affected every part of the property.

No. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is based on maximum sustained wind speed and does not account for hazards such as storm surge or rainfall flooding. Conditions at a specific location can also depend on the storm's track, size, forward speed, distance from the center, local terrain, and coastal setting. A site-specific analysis therefore requires more than citing the hurricane's category.

Useful materials may include pre- and post-storm photographs, video, inspection reports, repair and maintenance records, weather data, official hurricane advisories, radar imagery, flood or high-water documentation, site elevations, invoices, damaged components, and records showing when particular conditions were first observed. When repairs, demolition, or cleanup will alter the site, documenting the original condition can be especially important for reconstructing the sequence of hurricane effects.