Assessment of storm surge and structural damage on San Salvador Island, Bahamas, associated with Hurricane Joaquin (2015)

In the afternoon of October 2, 2015, Hurricane Joaquin made landfall on San Salvador Island, the easternmost island in the Bahamian Archipelago. In this study, post-storm surveys that estimated storm surge height and assessed structural damage on the island were evaluated within the context of Joaquin’s meteorological characteristics. The findings from Hurricane Joaquin were then compared to impacts from other notable storms that affected San Salvador in recent decades, namely Hurricane Lili (1996), Hurricane Floyd (1999), and Hurricane Frances (2004). Hurricane Joaquin’s trajectory likely contributed to the extent and distribution of storm surge and damage on San Salvador. Near its peak strength, Joaquin approached the island from the south, which is a climatologically unusual track. Lili also approached San Salvador from the south and exhibited similar patterns of storm surge, overwash, and vegetation disturbance, particularly along the southern end of the island. During Joaquin’s passage, winds of at least tropical storm-force likely impacted San Salvador for 48 consecutive hours, which is twice the duration of such winds associated with the other three hurricanes. Storm surge recorded from Joaquin was more evenly distributed across the island, whereas surge recorded from Floyd and Frances was more concentrated on the western and eastern sides of the island, respectively. While the average surge height on the island was highest from Frances, the percentage of structures with heavy damage was much higher from Joaquin, which may be due to the extended duration of strong winds.