tJiose instances where the BEB's 635-foot tank was the only adequate facility available in 

 the United States and where results would be of general public benefit. Moreover, the Chief 

 of Engineers had to grant approval.) This work was done on a reimbursable basis and 

 included tests for the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, 

 and Humble Oil Company. 



d. The Hurricane Studies. In 1954, the eastern and southern coasts of the United States 

 experienced severe damage from several hurricanes, particularly tlie ones which struck in 

 late August (Hurricane Carol), early September (Hurricane Edna), and mid-October 

 (Hurrcane Hazel) of that year. On June 15, 1955, Congress responded to this series of 

 calamities by passing Public Law 71, whicli authorized the Secretary of the Army, "in 

 cooperation with the Secretary of Commerce and other Federal agencies concerned with 

 hurricanes,"^ ^^ to make an examination and survey of the eastern and southern seaboard 

 with respect to these tropical storms. 



In accordance with this directive, the Office of the Chief of Engineers set up a Hurricane 

 Study Coordinating Committee to organize and coordinate a study program. Two BEB staff 

 members, Joseph M. Caldwell and Thorndike Saville, Jr., were appointed to this Committee. 

 Because of its experience in the field of wave research, the BEB was assigned that part of the 

 program which involved wave and wind tide* determinations.^^'* The agency incorporated 

 this assignment into its own research activity through both in-house and contract efforts. 



The Hydrometeorological Section of the Weather Bureau, which is supported by the 

 U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers, estabUshed guidelines for identification of hurricane 

 characteristics in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. The BEB then used these 

 parameters to predict both the increased water levels that would accompany a given design 

 hurricane, and also the wave heights as well as the forces induced by these waves to which 

 shore structures would be subject.**^ ^^ Among the researchers who made significant 

 contributions to this hurricane program were Robert 0. Reid, Texas A & M; Charles L. 

 Bretschneider, who did contract work for the BEB while at Texas A & M, and later joined 

 the BEB staff; Thorndike SaviUe, Jr., of the BEB staff; and Basil W. WUson of Texas A & M. 



The hurricane legislation had an effect on tlie review procedure for beach erosion 

 reports. Up to this time, the seven-man Beach Erosion Board reviewed all Corps of Engineers 

 District-prepared project reports which dealt with beach erosion. Those concerned with 

 other Corps responsibilities, such as flood control and navigation, were reviewed by the 

 Corps' Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors (BERH). Since July 1946 when the 

 Districts were assigned the task of preparing beach erosion control reports, there had been 

 occasions where one report would involve beach erosion along with, for example, 



*Wind tide also referred to ^s storm surge, is a rise above normal water level on the open coast due to the action of 

 wind stress on the water surface. With a hurricane, there is an added water level rise due to atmospheric pressure 

 reduction. 

 **This work has proven valuable in other respects as weU. For example, it is presently used to determine maximum 

 water levels for nuclear powerplant sitings in the coastal zone. 



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