Herbert Saffir
Herbert Saffir (29 March 1917 – 21 November 2007) was the developer of the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, for measuring the intensity of hurricanes. As recently as 2005, Saffir was the principal of Saffir Engineering[1] in Coral Gables, Florida. He has published articles on designing buildings for high wind resistance.[2]
Saffir graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1940 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering.[3] Saffir worked for Dade County, Florida beginning in 1947 as an assistant county engineer, and worked on updating the county building code. In 1969, while working on a study of windstorm damage on low-cost housing commissioned by the United Nations, Saffir developed a scale to measure the intensity of hurricanes. Robert Simpson, then-director of the National Hurricane Center, added information on the damage done by storm surge, resulting in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.[4]
Saffir survived the burning of the cruise ship SS Morro Castle ship on 8 September 1934, en route from Havana to New York when the ship caught fire and burned, killing a total of 137 passengers and crew members. He floated for nearly five hours before being rescued, according to his account related to friends.
Saffir died of a heart attack late 21 November 2007 at South Miami Hospital, according to his son, Richard Saffir.[5]
References
- ^ http://www.enr.construction.com/opinions/lettersUpdates/archives/051121.asp
- ^ Google Scholar search for H Saffir
- ^ http://www.alumni.gatech.edu/news/ttopics/win95/hallfame.html
- ^ http://www.novalynx.com/saffir-interview.html Q&A with Herbert Saffir — June 2001 interview from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
- ^ "Obituary: Herb Saffir of Saffir-Simpson Scale dies". Retrieved 2007-11-27.
External Links
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