Would SoWal Be Prepared for a 4-5 Hurricane?

[Camp Creek Kid]

I disagree that 30-A and Hwy 20 would be "wiped out". Again, I wouldn't advise anyone to stay for a Category 4-5, but I would expect that most of us would return to damaged, but intact houses.
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You may disagree with Billy Bearden, but as he is the person who approves most of the building plans in the county, I think he knows a thing or two about construction. He said 30A would be wiped out, not all of SoWal. 30A is anything within 1 mile of 30A and most homes that close to the Gulf would not make it through the winds of a Cat 4-5. Those winds are the same as an F 2-5 tornado. The only home that is likely withstand those winds is Charlie Hilton's (all concrete)--without the glass. In fact, the dunes would probably be washed away from under it and I wouldn't be surprised if that house floated away.

 

[Bob]

I don't want to be doom and gloom, but I also don't want anyone to have a false sense of security. I've resisted posting this because I don't want to scare anyone. However, my husband was told by the head of the Walton County Building Dept. that 30-A (and Hwy 20) would have been "whiped-out" by Katrina. The new building code has helped, but no construction can be strong enough to withstand winds much greater than 130 m.p.h. Concrete construction is definitely the best way to go and if we build another house near the coast, we are going to build one with reinforced concrete.

That said, the large Cat 4 and 5 hurricane are very rare and there is a lot we can do in preparation and construction to withstand the more common smaller storms.

Concrete monolithic dome construction[there is at least one in Pensacola Beach], would withstand any Cat 4 or 5 hurricane with no problems. They also do better w/ storm surge. They leave a lot in the looks department, and I'll bet they are pricey.

 

[Kurt]

You may disagree with Billy Bearden, but as he is the person who approves most of the building plans in the county, I think he knows a thing or two about construction. He said 30A would be wiped out, not all of SoWal. 30A is anything within 1 mile of 30A and most homes that close to the Gulf would not make it through the winds of a Cat 4-5. Those winds are the same as an F 2-5 tornado. The only home that is likely withstand those winds is Charlie Hilton's (all concrete)--without the glass. In fact, the dunes would probably be washed away from under it and I wouldn't be surprised if that house floated away.

I looked at the Miss. sat photos and saw what twt described. A few structures intact south of the surge debris line, but almost all intact north of the debris line. I was surprised - a lot of those structures I wouldn't think are built to Florida recent standards. I think it all depends on whether your envelope gets compromised by falling tree, debris, or wind pressures, etc. In the eyewall, within microbursts, tornadoes, etc. it's a bit of the luck of the draw. Things like nearby hills, rises, tree barriers, buildings, open water, all kinds of variations. A few miles one way or the other . . . .

 

[Paula]

So, it sounds like one of the most important things we can do to protect our property is to get very good coverage for windows/doors/etc. so wind/rain doesn't get in. Doing so could save quite a few houses and a lot of insurance and personal money. And plywood is OK, but not great from what I am hearing on this board (better than nothing for sure). I'm going to take a look at that thread from a while ago on hurricane shutters...

 

[Paula]

We'd want to be sure the poorest in the area are taken care of as well, not just vacation home owners. The concern, as most readers know, is that some are starting to say that the slow reaction to NO may be about race and class as well, and I would not want SoWal to prioritize help based on race, class, etc., but rather on need. I think if we think about these issues as citizens in advance, we're much more likely to do the right things when and if the time comes. We'd need to remember that like NO and other areas hit by Katrina, our officials will also be facing the same challenges that the other citizens are and may not be able to offer as much help as any plan they have in place -- and it's unclear how much help the federal government will give and when (or where SoWal would be in the list of priorities).

 

[SlowMovin]

...some are starting to say that the slow reaction to NO may be about race and class...

The primary responsibility for securing and managing any city in crisis lies with its mayor and the city government. The mayor of New Orleans is black. So are many, if not most, of the city officials--chief of police, various council people, etc. Much, if not most, of the city's police force is also black.

I really don't think this is the right time play the race card.

 

[Smiling JOe]

We'd want to be sure the poorest in the area are taken care of as well, not just vacation home owners. The concern, as most readers know, is that some are starting to say that the slow reaction to NO may be about race and class as well, and I would not want SoWal to prioritize help based on race, class, etc., but rather on need. I think if we think about these issues as citizens in advance, we're much more likely to do the right things when and if the time comes. We'd need to remember that like NO and other areas hit by Katrina, our officials will also be facing the same challenges that the other citizens are and may not be able to offer as much help as any plan they have in place -- and it's unclear how much help the federal government will give and when (or where SoWal would be in the list of priorities).

It sounds as though everyone needs to ask for help if we get hit. The excuses going around now are that no one asked for help.

I agree, evacuation should be prioritized based on need. Sick, elderly, children, women, men, not splitting up families whenever possible. Our lack of a dense population may make this difficult to do. We would likely see the rescues be based on rescuers proximity to any victims.

 

[Smiling JOe]

The primary responsibility for securing and managing any city in crisis lies with its mayor and the city government. The mayor of New Orleans is black. So are many, if not most, of the city officials--chief of police, various council people, etc. Much, if not most, of the city's police force is also black.

I really don't think this is the right time play the race card.

I hear you about the race card. I don't know the reasons why people are not getting help. It would be just as likely, and possibly far from the truth, that the insurance companies or gov't, for the uninsured, did not want to go bankrupt. If they let everyone die, they would not have to pay out money to the victims.

Maybe the govt was blocking the only way out to "protect" the neighboring town? I just don't have a grasp for what is happening and not happening in NOLA.

In SoWal, if we have to rely on local politicians to save us, I guess Commissioner Cindy Meadows would be the only one trying to save us. All the other Commissioners live in NoWal and don't seem to take care of SoWal.

 

[SlowMovin]

Good points, as always, SJ.

One thing though...the insurance companies do not have any control over how the city responds. It is ultimately the city's, and then the state's, responsibility. The police and fire department are under control of the mayor. The National Guard is under control of the governor. The Feds step in when all else fails--which is exactly what happened this time.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Good points, as always, SJ.

One thing though...the insurance companies do not have any control over how the city responds. It is ultimately the city's, and then the state's, responsibility. The police and fire department are under control of the mayor. The National Guard is under control of the governor. The Feds step in when all else fails--which is exactly what happened this time.

I know the insurance don't have that pull at a local level. If it were handled at a Federal level only, I would be suspicious. I believe the closer truth is that NOLA has elected an idiot to be their Mayor, and he operates by top-down management. It is times like these when your vote counts. If we are lucky, this kind of disaster does not occur, but when it does, you better hope you have the right people in place. Personally, I think if Katrina hit us, Comm. Meadows would be fighting for us, and herself, and the other Commissioners, if we are lucky, would be on the north side of the Bay saying swim.