Jeanne is on her way
- Thread starter utahdog2003
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P
Peter-man99
Guest
someone remind me why so many old people move to Florida?
Hey UtahDog
I was thinking about all those hurricanes that you guys have and I got to wondering. In the news they always show the neighborhoods that are just leveled. It alwas seems like those homes are low to middle class (not a knock on anyone just an observation). I was wondering how those large expensive homes (the MTV Cribs type homes) hold up to the storms/hurricanes?
Basically is there a type of construction that is used to fortify those homes (as they can afford such luxuries) that isn't used on the homes shown on the news?
Or is everyone equally affected and the only news reels I've seen just happen to be the middle to lower income neighborhoods?
Hey UtahDog
I was thinking about all those hurricanes that you guys have and I got to wondering. In the news they always show the neighborhoods that are just leveled. It alwas seems like those homes are low to middle class (not a knock on anyone just an observation). I was wondering how those large expensive homes (the MTV Cribs type homes) hold up to the storms/hurricanes?
Basically is there a type of construction that is used to fortify those homes (as they can afford such luxuries) that isn't used on the homes shown on the news?
Or is everyone equally affected and the only news reels I've seen just happen to be the middle to lower income neighborhoods?
rover4x4 said:looks like that thing is coming right to the outerbanks
And maybe to VA just in time for MAR.
Peter-man99 said:
The state has adopted a standardized building code, along the same lines as other "Damage Preventive" codes, but I believe the standard is still 120mph survival.
That said, most damage in FL (Incident-wise, not $) seems to be limited to lower income areas because it is. Prefabricated construction and manufactured homes are easy targets. Some of these homes have so many amenities and features now (pools, sunrooms etc) that they are hard to tell from a 'normal' house on TV.
Some of it is scale damage. Frances knocked the crap out of our oak trees, but when an 80' oak falls on a trailer, that makes for good TV because the damage nears 100%. When it falls on a 3800 sq/ft home...not so much. Most damage in weaker storms comes from a third factor, like tree falls or debris, or maybe a poorly added feature like an awning or porch (or along the coast, storm surge. some of the SLOSH models are pretty scary to see). A well built house in a field by itself with no projectiles would do pretty good in a cat 3 storm. Throw a few dumpsters and signs at it and you get some carnage. A cat 3 storm on the Safir-Simpson scale is where people start to really pucker, as the max sustained winds exceed the building standards)
As for better construction in higher dollar homes, well the same code applys to all and money is always a factor so I would guess 9 out of 10 times the methods are the same (of course some builders offer additional reinforcements/alternative methods as options). Additional amenities can help a home survive though. Multiple fireplaces, additional bathrooms/wet-walls add reinforcement etc. Still, when I go out and see some of the McMansions going up in some of these golf-course communities and the 2x4/chip-board construction they are made of it makes me think how much I love my concrete blocks! (Some builder will now probably offer up statistics showing how strong wood-framing construction is vs block, but I manipulate statistics every day so...)
Basically, you only see the damaged stuff on tv (and if you're watching the Weather Channel, just the same worthless footage of some schmuck standing in the howling wind, over and over and over...)
P
pcarey
Guest
And just to prove your point, right now on CNN.com they show a picture of a tree that broke through a couple's trailer and have this text blurb:
"The death toll from Hurricane Ivan rose to eight Thursday evening after the storm inflicted severe damage on beachfront towns and coastal cities in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, authorities said."
Don't mind the other 60+ people who have died from it. We're only concerned about the US.
that's just crappy reporting. But spooky about how dead on you were about the tree.
pwc
"The death toll from Hurricane Ivan rose to eight Thursday evening after the storm inflicted severe damage on beachfront towns and coastal cities in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, authorities said."
Don't mind the other 60+ people who have died from it. We're only concerned about the US.
that's just crappy reporting. But spooky about how dead on you were about the tree.
pwc
27 dead in Florida and Alabama. And Jeanne and Karl on the way.
There is some additional concern about a Hurricane approaching a larger land-mass. Storm Surge is much more pronounced when there is no real possibility of the surge going around a land-mass. Therefore under similar circumstances (storm speed, strength and size), the SLOSH model would predict higher surge for a concave continental shoreline (like the central gulf or Georgia coast...heck even the south coast of Cuba works) vs an isolated island. Granted the island would be absolutely pounded by waves as well, but as far as surge stacking water up against a substantially long shoreline, coastal SE US gets it in spades.
Here's wishing the victims of Ivan a quick recovery...I'm sure the JEA crews and Asplundh boys are on their way. As for those of you not associated in any way with the storm affected areas (including flooded areas up into the Carolinas and Virginias) just remember these folks when you schedule a vacation. One thing Florida is very good at, and that's cleaning up quick and rolling out the red carpet for the next wave of visitors...don't leave them waiting by postponing your plans too long as your dollars are needed here. (sounds like a tourism board plug, but it's the truth) Give 'em a couple weeks and come on down!
There is some additional concern about a Hurricane approaching a larger land-mass. Storm Surge is much more pronounced when there is no real possibility of the surge going around a land-mass. Therefore under similar circumstances (storm speed, strength and size), the SLOSH model would predict higher surge for a concave continental shoreline (like the central gulf or Georgia coast...heck even the south coast of Cuba works) vs an isolated island. Granted the island would be absolutely pounded by waves as well, but as far as surge stacking water up against a substantially long shoreline, coastal SE US gets it in spades.
Here's wishing the victims of Ivan a quick recovery...I'm sure the JEA crews and Asplundh boys are on their way. As for those of you not associated in any way with the storm affected areas (including flooded areas up into the Carolinas and Virginias) just remember these folks when you schedule a vacation. One thing Florida is very good at, and that's cleaning up quick and rolling out the red carpet for the next wave of visitors...don't leave them waiting by postponing your plans too long as your dollars are needed here. (sounds like a tourism board plug, but it's the truth) Give 'em a couple weeks and come on down!
utahdog2003 said:
very well said! as always we will donate canned food and water and collect what ever we didn't use in the last 3 hurricanes and send them over... Miami remembers Andrew as it was yesterday... I can still remember my ears popping and watching the glass doors that almost gave away... not a pretty thing to be in...
S.