SECTION 5.4034. Hazard Module - Wind Measurements

(a) Before an applicable storm, the association must take steps to ensure the deployment of mobile measurement platforms and fixed surface-level devices that:

(1) provide real-time wind speed and direction measurements during the applicable storm; and

(2) can be used both for forecasting and producing post-event wind field hindcasts.

(b) Wind measurements must be capable of generating gust wind speed and wind-direction time histories during an applicable storm.

(c) The association must deploy at least 40 to 60 mobile wind measurement platforms in two layers, with the first layer in close proximity to the coastline and the second layer approximately 20 miles inland. The mobile wind measurement platforms must be deployed as follows:

(1) three to five miles apart in the eyewall region of the storm;

(2) up to 10 miles apart in the outer regions of the storm;

(3) with a wind speed and direction sampling frequency of 10 hertz or higher; and

(4) a temperature, barometric pressure, and relative humidity sampling frequency of 1 hertz or higher.

(d) The association must deploy sufficient mobile wind measurement platforms along the coast in front of a land-falling storm to ensure that a high-resolution wind field with small errors--no more than ±2 percent of the maximum sustained wind measured in a 30-minute period--can be developed for use in wind damage prediction.

(e) Wherever reasonable, the mobile wind measurement platforms must be co-located with surge and wave gauges.

Source Note: The provisions of this §5.4034 adopted to be effective March 28, 2017, 42 TexReg 1459