When hurricanes strike Florida, the safest option is sometimes to get out of harm’s way. But leaving home to avoid an oncoming storm presents its own challenges, especially for the state’s most vulnerable residents.

A two-year, $215,000 study led by FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Professor Yassir AbdelRazig for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will help the state address the transportation needs of the vulnerable Floridians during a disaster.

An assistant professor in civil engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering received the Fred Burggraf Award for excellence in transportation research from the Transportation Research Board (TRB). 

The destructive winds and storm surges of hurricanes are well-known dangers. But these massive storms bring another peril in their aftermath — tons of debris that poses a health risk for residents and creates an additional challenge for recovery.

Fluctuating volumes of debris and illegal dumping complicate that challenge for officials seeking to hasten cleanup efforts and rebuild in the wake of hurricanes.

Years after Hurricane Michael devastated Florida’s Gulf Coast, residents of that area are still struggling to overcome the trauma of the Category 5 storm. 

In a recent study, FSU researchers found that trauma and a host of psychosocial and physical challenges caused by Hurricane Michael are disproportionately affecting the region’s Black communities.  

A FAMU-FSU College of Engineering professor Sastry Pamidi was recently chosen to serve on the board of the prestigious Cryogenic Society of America. His five-year term begins this month.

Pamidi is the chair of the department of electrical and computer engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the associate director for the Center for Advanced Power Systems.  

New high polymer-modified asphalt binder technology by Kraton Polymers and tested by FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers may be the answer to more sustainable, durable, and resilient roadways in Florida and beyond.