Small Building Performance in Hurricane Ike on the Bolivar Peninsula

Abstract

Hurricane Ike made landfall on the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast on September 13, 2008 over the Galveston Bay Entrance in Texas (Edge, 2013). The Bolivar Peninsula is a barrier island/peninsula on the east side of the Entrance that received peak overland storm surge and wave heights in the right front quadrant of the hurricane. Prior to the storm Bolivar had been developed with 6000+ buildings, primarily low-density, single-family houses elevated on piling foundations. Over 2000 buildings were destroyed during the storm.