Jeffrey Huber says Hurricane Andrew’s aftermath should shape storm design
Huber was 12 in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 hurricane, struck southern Florida. The storm damaged and destroyed tens of thousands of homes, including his childhood home.
“One day there was a roof. The next morning it was gone,” Huber recalled.
For days, first responders couldn’t get to Huber and his family. His family relied on food donations for a month and a half, and he lived with his family in a trailer for more than a year.
“It wasn’t just about the storm itself, but it was about the aftermath of that storm and how we begin to design for those aspects,” said Huber, who is now a landscape architect and professor. “We are seeing extreme storms, extreme scenarios like this that are becoming much more common.”
DC Alexander Park in Fort Lauderdale is a former parking lot transformed into a public space that also serves as flood infrastructure.
The park is one example of how built spaces can serve more than one purpose in a place facing storm and flooding risks.
About 129 million people — nearly 40% of the U.S. population — live in coastal counties.
Recent research shows that a rise in sea level driven by humans has increased the frequency of extreme coastal flooding around the world.