UI Professor travels to Florida, investigating post-hurricane impacts on the coast

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — More than 3 million customers are without power in Florida after Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday night just south of Tampa. While most people run away from the storms, Youssef Hashash is going toward it.

The Civil and Environmental Engineering professor at U of I is part of the Nearshore Extreme Events Reconnaissance (NEER) team. The group is in Florida, investigating the effects of Hurricane Helene and, soon, Hurricane Milton.

The goal is to collect data in coastal areas and learn from the devastation. That way, stronger codes and regulations can be developed to keep people safe in the future.

“The purpose of us going there is first to see how the coastline changed,” Hashash said.

He and other scientists want to see how well various structures resisted the wind and storm surge, while also working to uncover if modern codes are effective. If they’re not effective, the data he collects now will make a difference in the long run.

“Maybe there are needs to further upgrade the requirements in these building codes so that we will have infrastructure that is going to remain there,” he explained.

He’s eager to see how past engineered plans weathered the storm in a real-life scenario.

“This information will help us understand if our tools are adequate if we need to improve our tools,” Hashash said.

Then, those improvements can be made before it’s too late next time.

“These cumulatively end up helping with delivering better infrastructure, making our structures more resilient to these severe events,” he said. “Allow people to continue their lives after such a severe event hits.”

When Hashash gets back to Champaign, he’s excited to walk through some of the data with his students. That way, the next generation is prepared to make a difference.

Originally, the team was traveling to Florida only to research the effects of Hurricane Helene. Milton threw a minor wrench in things and some plans were pushed back. Now, they’re making tentative arrangements to also collect data from Hurricane Milton while there.

Hashash has also been part of the technical investigation after the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, FL collapsed in 2021. He has also traveled to Lebanon, investigating after an explosion shook the Port of Beirut .

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