Performance of Physical Structures in Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita: A Reconnaissance Report

This is the final report on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) led-reconnaissance to assess the performance of physical structures during Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. The report describes the environmental conditions (wind speed, storm surge, and flooding) that were present during the hurricanes in regions that were affected by the hurricanes. The report further documents the NIST-led team s observations of damage to major buildings, infrastructure, and residential structures resulting from wind and wind-borne debris, storm surge, surge-borne debris, and surge-induced flooding.