{ "schema": "hummbl-house.climate-regions.v2", "note": "Eleven-region partition of the 50 states and DC for the House map, extending the four-region route file (data/climate-regions.json, v1). The four v1 regions keep their v1 text; seven regions are new. Hazards cite the sources listed per region; house types and character are editorial field notes, not data. Station normals live in data/states.json (one anchor station per state).", "source": { "name": "NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals", "publisher": "National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)", "url": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/land-based-station/us-climate-normals" }, "regions": [ { "id": "northwest", "name": "Northwest", "route_position": 0, "states": [ "WA", "OR", "ID" ], "koppen_summary": "Csb marine Mediterranean west of the Cascades; Dsb/BSk dry continental and cold steppe inland", "character": "Wet mild winters and dry summers on the coast; colder, snowier, drier interior east of the Cascades.", "hazards": [ "atmospheric-river flooding", "ice storms (Columbia Gorge)", "wildfire smoke", "Cascadia subduction earthquake", "heat domes (rare, severe)" ], "housing_styles": [ { "name": "Craftsman bungalow", "climate_fit": "deep eaves and covered porches shed the long wet season" }, { "name": "Northwest Modern", "climate_fit": "shed roofs, cedar, big glass for soft light and views — needs disciplined rain detailing" }, { "name": "A-frame / mountain cabin", "climate_fit": "steep roof dumps the inland snow load" }, { "name": "Valley farmhouse", "climate_fit": "gabled roof and wrap porch for the wet-mild Willamette pattern" }, { "name": "Inland ranch", "climate_fit": "low-pitch postwar stock where snow loads stay modest" } ], "sources": [], "design_drivers": {}, "route_cities": [ { "id": "sea", "name": "Seattle", "state": "WA", "station": "USW00024233", "lat": 47.45, "lon": -122.31, "koppen": "Csb", "jan_mean_f": 42.8, "jul_mean_f": 67.1, "annual_precip_in": 39.3, "annual_snow_in": 6.3 }, { "id": "pdx", "name": "Portland", "state": "OR", "station": "USW00024229", "lat": 45.59, "lon": -122.6, "koppen": "Csb", "jan_mean_f": 41.9, "jul_mean_f": 70.2, "annual_precip_in": 36.9, "annual_snow_in": 7.4 }, { "id": "geg", "name": "Spokane", "state": "WA", "station": "USW00024157", "lat": 47.62, "lon": -117.53, "koppen": "Dsb", "jan_mean_f": 30.0, "jul_mean_f": 70.4, "annual_precip_in": 16.4, "annual_snow_in": 45.4 }, { "id": "boi", "name": "Boise", "state": "ID", "station": "USW00024131", "lat": 43.56, "lon": -116.22, "koppen": "BSk", "jan_mean_f": 30.4, "jul_mean_f": 73.4, "annual_precip_in": 11.5, "annual_snow_in": 18.0 } ] }, { "id": "southwest", "name": "Southwest", "route_position": 3, "states": [ "AZ", "NV", "NM", "CA" ], "koppen_summary": "BWh hot desert in the low deserts; BSk cold steppe on the high plateaus; Csb Mediterranean on the SoCal coast", "character": "Arid to semi-arid with extreme summer heat in the deserts, monsoon thunderstorms in late summer, and a mild dry-summer coast.", "hazards": [ "extreme heat", "drought and water scarcity", "wildfire", "monsoon flash floods and dust storms", "earthquakes and post-fire debris flows (CA)" ], "housing_styles": [ { "name": "Pueblo Revival / adobe", "climate_fit": "thermal mass evens the high-desert day-night swing; flat roofs fit dry, snow-free winters" }, { "name": "Territorial", "climate_fit": "adobe massing with Anglo trim and brick coping" }, { "name": "Mission / Spanish Colonial Revival", "climate_fit": "stucco and clay tile for sun; courtyards make shade" }, { "name": "California ranch", "climate_fit": "single-story indoor-outdoor living the mild coast permits" }, { "name": "Desert modernism", "climate_fit": "deep overhangs and oriented glass for shade with views" }, { "name": "Contemporary desert", "climate_fit": "low-pitch tile roofs, stucco, shade-first site planning" } ], "sources": [], "design_drivers": {}, "route_cities": [ { "id": "phx", "name": "Phoenix", "state": "AZ", "station": "USW00023183", "lat": 33.43, "lon": -112.01, "koppen": "BWh", "jan_mean_f": 57.0, "jul_mean_f": 96.0, "annual_precip_in": 7.2, "annual_snow_in": 0.0 }, { "id": "las", "name": "Las Vegas", "state": "NV", "station": "USW00023169", "lat": 36.08, "lon": -115.15, "koppen": "BWh", "jan_mean_f": 48.9, "jul_mean_f": 92.9, "annual_precip_in": 4.2, "annual_snow_in": 0.3 }, { "id": "lax", "name": "Los Angeles (Downtown)", "state": "CA", "station": "USC00042214", "lat": 34.05, "lon": -118.24, "koppen": "Csb", "jan_mean_f": 58.4, "jul_mean_f": 73.3, "aug_mean_f": 74.7, "annual_precip_in": 14.25, "annual_snow_in": 0.0 }, { "id": "abq", "name": "Albuquerque", "state": "NM", "station": "USW00023050", "lat": 35.04, "lon": -106.62, "koppen": "BSk", "jan_mean_f": 37.0, "jul_mean_f": 79.0, "annual_precip_in": 8.8, "annual_snow_in": 7.9 } ] }, { "id": "mountain", "name": "Mountain", "states": [ "MT", "WY", "CO", "UT" ], "koppen_summary": "BSk cold semi-arid in the valleys and basins; Dfb/Dfc humid continental to subarctic at higher elevations; ET alpine tundra above treeline; BWk cold desert on the Great Basin fringe of western Utah and Wyoming", "character": "Elevation does more work than latitude here — a town and the peak above it can sit in two different climates on the same slope. Winters are long and snow-driven in the high country; summers are short, hot in the valleys, and increasingly fire-prone.", "hazards": [ "wildfire (wildland-urban interface)", "avalanche", "heavy mountain snow load", "drought and water scarcity", "Wasatch Front seismic risk (UT)", "flash flooding from snowmelt and monsoon storms" ], "housing_styles": [ { "name": "Ski chalet", "climate_fit": "steep gable roof and deep eaves shed heavy mountain snowfall" }, { "name": "Log cabin", "climate_fit": "thick log walls hold heat through long, cold winters" }, { "name": "Mining-town Victorian", "climate_fit": "narrow lots and steep metal roofs from 19th-century boomtowns built for snow load" }, { "name": "Mountain modern", "climate_fit": "large glazing and simple massing chase views while metal roofs shed snow" }, { "name": "Valley ranch", "climate_fit": "low, single-story postwar stock in the drier basin towns where snow load is lighter" }, { "name": "Earth-sheltered / passive solar", "climate_fit": "Rocky Mountain berm-and-solar tradition that banks on the region's intense high-elevation sun" } ], "design_drivers": { "heating": "dominant", "cooling": "minor", "moisture": "minor", "snow_load": "dominant", "wind": "secondary (exposed ridgelines, canyon winds)", "seismic": "secondary, concentrated on the Wasatch Front (UT)", "wildfire": "dominant", "flood": "secondary (snowmelt and canyon flash flooding)" }, "sources": [ "https://www.noaa.gov/noaa-wildfire/wildfire-climate-connection", "https://avalanche.state.co.us/accidents/statistics-and-reporting", "https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/science/how-big-and-how-frequent-are-earthquakes-wasatch-fault", "https://www.drought.gov/sites/default/files/2025-03/Prairies%20High%20Plains%20Winter%202025.pdf" ], "route_cities": [] }, { "id": "plains", "name": "Plains", "states": [ "ND", "SD", "NE", "KS", "OK" ], "koppen_summary": "Dfa humid continental in the eastern Dakotas and Nebraska; BSk cold semi-arid steppe across the High Plains; Cfa humid subtropical in southern Oklahoma", "character": "Flat and wind-exposed, with nothing on the terrain to stop colliding air masses — this is the core of Tornado Alley, where warm Gulf moisture meets cold Canadian air. Winters bring ground blizzards and whiteouts; summers bring supercells and hail.", "hazards": [ "tornadoes and severe hail", "blizzards and ground blizzards", "drought (High Plains, Ogallala aquifer stress)", "flash flooding", "sustained high wind", "grassland wildfire", "induced seismicity from oil-and-gas wastewater injection (OK)" ], "housing_styles": [ { "name": "Ranch (post-sod-house)", "climate_fit": "low profile and small footprint present the least surface to sustained plains wind" }, { "name": "Hipped-roof prairie cottage", "climate_fit": "hipped roof resists uplift better than gable ends in open wind" }, { "name": "Storm-cellar / basement tradition", "climate_fit": "below-grade shelter is standard practice, not an amenity, in tornado country" }, { "name": "Shelterbelt farmstead", "climate_fit": "planted windbreak rows cut wind-driven snow drift and soil erosion around the house" }, { "name": "Prairie foursquare", "climate_fit": "compact two-story boxy form holds heat against open-plains winter wind" }, { "name": "Pole-barn / Quonset outbuilding vernacular", "climate_fit": "curved or braced-frame ancillary structures shed snow load and resist wind" } ], "design_drivers": { "heating": "dominant", "cooling": "secondary", "moisture": "minor", "snow_load": "secondary (drifting matters more than static load)", "wind": "dominant", "seismic": "minor to secondary, concentrated in central Oklahoma (induced)", "wildfire": "secondary (grassland and rangeland fire)", "flood": "secondary (flash flooding, prairie pothole/playa)" }, "sources": [ "https://www.noaa.gov/stories/story-map-inside-tornado-alley", "https://www.drought.gov/sites/default/files/2025-03/Prairies%20High%20Plains%20Winter%202025.pdf", "https://www.weather.gov/oun/events-19350414", "https://www.usgs.gov/publications/sharp-increase-central-oklahoma-seismicity-2009-2014-induced-massive-wastewater" ], "route_cities": [] }, { "id": "midwest", "name": "Midwest", "states": [ "MN", "WI", "MI", "IA", "MO", "IL", "IN", "OH" ], "koppen_summary": "Dfa humid continental (hot summer) across the southern Corn Belt; Dfb humid continental (warm summer) across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and northern Michigan", "character": "The Corn Belt's derecho and lake-effect corridor: a humid continental climate with real winters and increasingly violent summer convection. The Great Lakes moderate the immediate shoreline but load the snowbelt counties directly downwind.", "hazards": [ "tornadoes and severe thunderstorms", "derechos", "lake-effect snow", "river and flash flooding (Mississippi/Ohio/Missouri basins)", "ice storms and extreme cold", "New Madrid Seismic Zone earthquake risk (southeastern MO)" ], "housing_styles": [ { "name": "American Foursquare", "climate_fit": "compact two-story box with a hipped roof holds heat and sheds snow efficiently" }, { "name": "Chicago bungalow", "climate_fit": "brick construction and a raised basement handle freeze-thaw and heating load on dense city lots" }, { "name": "I-house", "climate_fit": "narrow two-story farmhouse form vents summer heat through tall rooms" }, { "name": "Gable-front cottage", "climate_fit": "simple steep gable sheds snow on the narrow lots of Midwest mill and rail towns" }, { "name": "Split-level", "climate_fit": "postwar suburban form that separates heating zones across a continental temperature swing" }, { "name": "Farmhouse (gabled, wrap porch)", "climate_fit": "deep porch and tall windows manage humid-summer heat on the open Corn Belt" } ], "design_drivers": { "heating": "dominant", "cooling": "secondary", "moisture": "secondary (humid summers)", "snow_load": "secondary, dominant in Great Lakes snowbelt counties", "wind": "secondary, elevated in the Corn Belt derecho corridor", "seismic": "minor, elevated near the New Madrid Seismic Zone (southeastern MO)", "wildfire": "minor", "flood": "dominant (Mississippi/Ohio/Missouri river-valley flooding)" }, "sources": [ "https://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/derechofacts.htm", "https://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/climatologypage.htm", "https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/new-madrid-seismic-zone", "https://www.weather.gov/lot/2026_08_11_Derecho" ], "route_cities": [] }, { "id": "south-central", "name": "South Central", "states": [ "TX", "LA", "AR", "MS" ], "koppen_summary": "Cfa humid subtropical across the humid east (most of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi); BSh/BSk semi-arid transitioning across the Texas Hill Country and Panhandle; Am tropical fringe in the Rio Grande Valley", "character": "The Gulf-facing load-bearing wall of the country's storm systems — hurricane landfall coast, Dixie Alley tornado corridor, and Flash Flood Alley hill country all in one region. Humidity and heat dominate east of I-35; aridity, wind, and wildfire take over west of it.", "hazards": [ "hurricanes and storm surge", "tornadoes (Dixie Alley, disproportionately nocturnal and fatal)", "flash flooding (Texas Hill Country/Flash Flood Alley)", "extreme heat", "drought and wildfire (western TX)", "severe hail and thunderstorms" ], "housing_styles": [ { "name": "Dogtrot", "climate_fit": "open central breezeway cools two flanking rooms before mechanical air conditioning" }, { "name": "Shotgun", "climate_fit": "one room wide with aligned doors for cross-ventilation in humid heat" }, { "name": "Texas German stone farmhouse", "climate_fit": "thick limestone walls buffer the Hill Country's hot days and cool nights" }, { "name": "Acadian cottage", "climate_fit": "raised floor and broad porch handle Louisiana humidity and standing water" }, { "name": "Raised Gulf cottage", "climate_fit": "pier foundation lifts the living floor above storm surge and flood" }, { "name": "Hill Country modern", "climate_fit": "deep overhangs and stone massing manage sun and flash-flood-prone sites" } ], "design_drivers": { "heating": "minor", "cooling": "dominant", "moisture": "dominant (Gulf humidity)", "snow_load": "minor (occasional damaging ice events)", "wind": "dominant (hurricane and tornado exposure)", "seismic": "minor", "wildfire": "secondary, concentrated in western Texas during drought", "flood": "dominant (hurricane storm surge and Hill Country flash flooding)" }, "sources": [ "https://www.noaa.gov/explainers/explainer-understanding-hurricane-hazards", "https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/topics/wildfire/wildfire-risk/", "https://www.weather.gov/shv/past_events" ], "route_cities": [ { "id": "msy", "name": "New Orleans", "state": "LA", "station": "USW00012916", "lat": 29.99, "lon": -90.25, "koppen": "Cfa", "jan_mean_f": 55.3, "jul_mean_f": 83.7, "annual_precip_in": 63.4, "annual_snow_in": 0.0 } ] }, { "id": "southeast", "name": "Southeast", "route_position": 1, "states": [ "AL", "GA", "FL", "SC", "NC", "TN", "KY" ], "koppen_summary": "Cfa humid subtropical across the region; Am tropical monsoon in South Florida", "character": "Hot humid summers, mild winters, year-round precipitation; tropical in South Florida with a marked wet season.", "hazards": [ "hurricanes and storm surge", "flash and river flooding", "severe thunderstorms and tornadoes", "extreme heat and humidity", "lightning" ], "housing_styles": [ { "name": "Shotgun", "climate_fit": "one room wide, doors aligned — cross-breeze before air conditioning" }, { "name": "Creole cottage / townhouse", "climate_fit": "raised main floor and galleries above street water" }, { "name": "Florida Cracker / dogtrot", "climate_fit": "elevated frame, breezeway core, metal roof sheds torrential rain" }, { "name": "Lowcountry raised cottage", "climate_fit": "piers for flood and breeze; deep piazzas for shade" }, { "name": "Key West conch", "climate_fit": "metal roof, shutters and porches built for hurricane country" }, { "name": "Mediterranean / Spanish Revival", "climate_fit": "stucco and tile against sun and salt air" }, { "name": "Brick ranch", "climate_fit": "slab-on-grade postwar default of the inland South" } ], "sources": [], "design_drivers": {}, "route_cities": [ { "id": "atl", "name": "Atlanta", "state": "GA", "station": "USW00013874", "lat": 33.64, "lon": -84.43, "koppen": "Cfa", "jan_mean_f": 44.9, "jul_mean_f": 80.9, "annual_precip_in": 50.4, "annual_snow_in": 2.2 }, { "id": "jax", "name": "Jacksonville", "state": "FL", "station": "USW00013889", "lat": 30.49, "lon": -81.69, "koppen": "Cfa", "jan_mean_f": 54.2, "jul_mean_f": 82.5, "annual_precip_in": 53.4, "annual_snow_in": 0.0 }, { "id": "mia", "name": "Miami", "state": "FL", "station": "USW00012839", "lat": 25.79, "lon": -80.29, "koppen": "Am", "jan_mean_f": 69.0, "jul_mean_f": 84.0, "annual_precip_in": 67.4, "annual_snow_in": 0.0 } ] }, { "id": "mid-atlantic", "name": "Mid-Atlantic", "states": [ "VA", "WV", "MD", "DE", "DC", "PA", "NJ" ], "koppen_summary": "Cfa humid subtropical along the coastal plain (DC, tidewater VA/MD, southern NJ); Dfa/Dfb humid continental across the Appalachian interior (WV, western PA, northern NJ)", "character": "The hinge between the humid South and the humid continental North — both hurricanes and nor'easters reach this coast, and the Appalachian spine sets up a sharp climate divide between the coastal plain and the ridge-and-valley interior.", "hazards": [ "hurricanes and tropical storm remnants", "nor'easters and coastal flooding", "ice storms (Appalachian and Piedmont corridor)", "severe thunderstorms and occasional tornadoes", "Chesapeake/Delaware Bay tidal flooding and sea-level rise", "Central Virginia Seismic Zone earthquake risk" ], "housing_styles": [ { "name": "Federal / Georgian rowhouse", "climate_fit": "party walls and masonry mass buffer winter cold on dense urban lots" }, { "name": "Pennsylvania bank barn farmhouse", "climate_fit": "earth-banked lower level insulates against the interior's colder winters" }, { "name": "Cape (Jersey Shore)", "climate_fit": "low, compact form stands up to coastal wind and nor'easter exposure" }, { "name": "Colonial Revival", "climate_fit": "symmetric massing and a central chimney hold heat through the four-season interior climate" }, { "name": "Baltimore rowhouse", "climate_fit": "shared walls and marble stoops handle dense, humid-summer urban blocks" }, { "name": "Dutch Colonial", "climate_fit": "gambrel roof sheds snow while adding headroom in the Pennsylvania/New Jersey Dutch country" }, { "name": "Tidewater farmhouse", "climate_fit": "raised foundation and wide porches manage Chesapeake humidity and tidal flooding" } ], "design_drivers": { "heating": "secondary to dominant, heavier in the Appalachian interior than the coastal plain", "cooling": "secondary", "moisture": "secondary", "snow_load": "secondary, higher in Appalachian ridge counties than the coast", "wind": "secondary (hurricane remnants and nor'easters)", "seismic": "minor, elevated in the Central Virginia Seismic Zone", "wildfire": "minor", "flood": "dominant (coastal and tidal flooding, nor'easter storm surge)" }, "sources": [ "https://www.weather.gov/erh/coastalflood", "https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/science/m58-august-23-2011-mineral-virginia", "https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/history/", "https://www.midatlanticrisa.org/data-tools/climate-data-tools/storms-hurricanes-historic.html" ], "route_cities": [] }, { "id": "northeast", "name": "Northeast", "route_position": 2, "states": [ "NY", "CT", "RI", "MA", "VT", "NH", "ME" ], "koppen_summary": "Cfa humid subtropical at the coast (NYC) transitioning to Dfa/Dfb humid continental inland and north", "character": "Four full seasons: cold snowy winters, warm humid summers, precipitation spread across the year; lake-effect snow belts and nor'easters.", "hazards": [ "nor'easters and blizzards", "lake-effect snow", "ice storms and freeze-thaw", "coastal flooding", "hurricane remnants" ], "housing_styles": [ { "name": "Colonial / Colonial Revival", "climate_fit": "compact two-story form and central chimney hold heat through winter" }, { "name": "Cape Cod", "climate_fit": "low profile and steep roof shed snow and shrug off wind" }, { "name": "Saltbox", "climate_fit": "long rear roofline turns its back to the north wind" }, { "name": "Brownstone / rowhouse", "climate_fit": "party walls buffer winter cold on dense urban lots" }, { "name": "Triple-decker", "climate_fit": "stacked flats — New England's dense urban housing form" }, { "name": "Queen Anne Victorian", "climate_fit": "the heavy ornate stock of the region's industrial-era boom" }, { "name": "Split-level / raised ranch", "climate_fit": "postwar suburban default on graded lots" } ], "sources": [], "design_drivers": {}, "route_cities": [ { "id": "nyc", "name": "New York (Central Park)", "state": "NY", "station": "USW00094728", "lat": 40.78, "lon": -73.97, "koppen": "Cfa", "jan_mean_f": 33.7, "jul_mean_f": 77.5, "annual_precip_in": 49.5, "annual_snow_in": 29.8 }, { "id": "bos", "name": "Boston", "state": "MA", "station": "USW00014739", "lat": 42.36, "lon": -71.01, "koppen": "Dfa", "jan_mean_f": 30.0, "jul_mean_f": 74.1, "annual_precip_in": 43.6, "annual_snow_in": 49.2 }, { "id": "buf", "name": "Buffalo", "state": "NY", "station": "USW00014733", "lat": 42.94, "lon": -78.74, "koppen": "Dfb", "jan_mean_f": 26.0, "jul_mean_f": 71.1, "annual_precip_in": 40.7, "annual_snow_in": 95.4 }, { "id": "pwm", "name": "Portland", "state": "ME", "station": "USW00014764", "lat": 43.65, "lon": -70.32, "koppen": "Dfb", "jan_mean_f": 23.7, "jul_mean_f": 69.9, "annual_precip_in": 48.1, "annual_snow_in": 68.7 } ] }, { "id": "alaska", "name": "Alaska", "states": [ "AK" ], "koppen_summary": "Dfc subarctic across the Interior; ET tundra north of the Arctic Circle and at high elevation; Dfb in the Southcentral lowlands (Anchorage); Cfb/Csb temperate oceanic in the Southeast panhandle rainforest", "character": "A subcontinent of climates in one state — temperate rainforest in the Southeast panhandle, subarctic taiga in the Interior, and Arctic tundra on the North Slope. Permafrost underlies much of the state and is thawing, which is a foundation problem as much as a climate one.", "hazards": [ "permafrost thaw and ground subsidence", "wildfire (boreal Interior, increasing)", "earthquake (most seismically active state in the US)", "coastal erosion and storm surge", "tsunami", "avalanche and extreme cold" ], "housing_styles": [ { "name": "Log cabin", "climate_fit": "thick log mass and small footprint hold heat through subarctic winters" }, { "name": "Pile / elevated foundation", "climate_fit": "raises the structure off thawing permafrost to prevent differential settlement" }, { "name": "Arctic entry vestibule", "climate_fit": "double-door airlock traps cold air before it reaches living space" }, { "name": "Steep steel gable roof", "climate_fit": "slick metal roofing sheds heavy Southcentral and Interior snow load" }, { "name": "Southeast rainforest frame house", "climate_fit": "steep roof and rain-screen detailing manage the panhandle's heavy year-round precipitation" }, { "name": "Modular / prefab housing", "climate_fit": "shop-built construction compensates for short building seasons and remote logistics" } ], "design_drivers": { "heating": "dominant", "cooling": "minor", "moisture": "secondary, high in the Southeast panhandle and low in the Interior/Arctic", "snow_load": "dominant in Southcentral and Interior, minor in the Arctic desert North Slope", "wind": "secondary (coastal and Aleutian exposure)", "seismic": "dominant", "wildfire": "secondary, rising in the boreal Interior", "flood": "secondary (coastal erosion and river ice-jam flooding, compounded by permafrost thaw)" }, "sources": [ "https://ready.alaska.gov/Documents/Mitigation/SHMP/2023%20State%20of%20Alaska%20Hazard%20Mitigation%20Plan.pdf", "https://www.usgs.gov/centers/alaska-science-center/science/alaska-earthquake-and-tsunami-hazards", "https://www.usgs.gov/publications/maps-showing-seismic-landslide-hazards-anchorage-alaska" ], "route_cities": [] }, { "id": "hawaii", "name": "Hawaii", "states": [ "HI" ], "koppen_summary": "Af/Am tropical rainforest on windward slopes; Aw tropical savanna on leeward coasts; Cfb/Csb highland subtropical above roughly 2,000 feet; localized semi-arid leeward pockets", "character": "A volcanic archipelago where trade winds and elevation set the climate more than season does — windward coasts stay wet and lush, leeward coasts stay dry and sunny, and the volcanoes themselves are an active hazard, not scenery.", "hazards": [ "hurricanes and tropical storms", "volcanic activity (lava flow, vog)", "tsunami", "wildfire (leeward dry grassland)", "landslides and flash flooding (windward slopes)", "coastal erosion and sea-level rise" ], "housing_styles": [ { "name": "Plantation-style single-wall cottage", "climate_fit": "single-wall board construction and a raised floor suit a climate with no freeze risk" }, { "name": "Lanai-centric plan", "climate_fit": "covered outdoor room extends living space into the trade-wind breeze" }, { "name": "Wide-eave hipped roof", "climate_fit": "deep overhangs shed heavy windward rain while shading walls from sun" }, { "name": "Post-and-pier foundation", "climate_fit": "elevates the floor for airflow, drainage, and termite/moisture separation" }, { "name": "Hurricane-strapped concrete block (post-Iniki code)", "climate_fit": "reinforced masonry and metal strapping resist tropical-storm wind uplift" }, { "name": "Breezeway / open-plan layout", "climate_fit": "cross-ventilation substitutes for mechanical cooling in the trade-wind climate" } ], "design_drivers": { "heating": "minor", "cooling": "dominant, often met passively rather than mechanically", "moisture": "dominant on windward coasts, minor on leeward coasts", "snow_load": "minor (summit elevations only, Mauna Kea/Mauna Loa)", "wind": "secondary to dominant (hurricane and trade-wind loading)", "seismic": "secondary (volcanic seismicity, occasional large earthquakes)", "wildfire": "secondary, elevated on leeward grassland since the 2023 Maui fires", "flood": "secondary (windward flash flooding and coastal tsunami/storm surge)" }, "sources": [ "https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-were-hawaii-lava-flow-hazard-zones-determined", "https://seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/topics/topics-a-z/natural-hazards/", "https://www.kauai.gov/files/content/public/v/18/government/departments-agencies/emergency-management-agency/multi-hazard-mitigation-and-resilience-plan/2026-kauai-county-multi-hazard-mitigation-and-resilience-plan-final.pdf" ], "route_cities": [] } ], "state_index": { "WA": "northwest", "OR": "northwest", "ID": "northwest", "AZ": "southwest", "NV": "southwest", "NM": "southwest", "CA": "southwest", "MT": "mountain", "WY": "mountain", "CO": "mountain", "UT": "mountain", "ND": "plains", "SD": "plains", "NE": "plains", "KS": "plains", "OK": "plains", "MN": "midwest", "WI": "midwest", "MI": "midwest", "IA": "midwest", "MO": "midwest", "IL": "midwest", "IN": "midwest", "OH": "midwest", "TX": "south-central", "LA": "south-central", "AR": "south-central", "MS": "south-central", "AL": "southeast", "GA": "southeast", "FL": "southeast", "SC": "southeast", "NC": "southeast", "TN": "southeast", "KY": "southeast", "VA": "mid-atlantic", "WV": "mid-atlantic", "MD": "mid-atlantic", "DE": "mid-atlantic", "DC": "mid-atlantic", "PA": "mid-atlantic", "NJ": "mid-atlantic", "NY": "northeast", "CT": "northeast", "RI": "northeast", "MA": "northeast", "VT": "northeast", "NH": "northeast", "ME": "northeast", "AK": "alaska", "HI": "hawaii" } }