Brief communication: Loss of life due to Hurricane Harvey

Journal article (2018)

Authors

Sebastiaan N. Jonkman Hydraulic Structures and Flood Risk - CEG
Maartje Godfroy Hydraulic Structures and Flood Risk - CEG
Antonia Sebastian Rice University, Hydraulic Structures and Flood Risk - CEG
B. Kolen , HKV Lijn in Water
Research Group
Hydraulic Structures and Flood Risk (CEG) (TU Delft)
Copyright: © 2018 Sebastiaan N. Jonkman, Maartje Godfroy, Antonia Sebastian, B. Kolen
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-18-1073-2018
More Info
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Published Date

2018

Language

English

Faculty

Civil Engineering & Geosciences

Department

Hydraulic Engineering

Research Group

Hydraulic Structures and Flood Risk

Abstract

An analysis was made of the loss of life caused by Hurricane Harvey. Information was collected for 70 fatalities that occurred due to the event and were recovered within the first 2 weeks after landfall. Most fatalities occurred due to drowning (81 %), particularly in and around vehicles. Males (70 %) and people over 50 years old (56 %) were overrepresented in the dataset. More than half of the fatalities occurred in the greater Houston area (n  =  37), where heavy rainfall and dam releases caused unprecedented urban flooding. The majority of fatalities were recovered outside the designated 100- and 500-year flood hazard areas.