kurt said:
Got any names of waterproofing experts? We're starting to build our house now.
Would SoWal Be Prepared for a 4-5 Hurricane?
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Got any names of waterproofing experts? We're starting to build our house now.
iqueequeg said:
Billy Carter 850-231-2573
SlowMovin said:
I definitely agree that we shouldn't overemphasize the race/class/or whatever card, regardless of where the press goes with this. But I always like to keep myself in check by reminding myself that all of us can have biases and these can come out without even thinking during a crisis by our decisions and actions. If we were ever in the same situation, I'd hope people would say SoWal's was a model of broad helping based on need and priority and that we would know where the most needy are and be there to help. I have great faith in SoWal and I don't know enough about NO.
A while back I was talking to a builder about how high to build on the bayou, just to be safe. He said to find someone who lived here in 1975 during Hurricane Eloise, find out how high the water got then, and add another 8 feet to that.
Did anyone live here then? Just wondering what the surge was like, and how much the coastline was rearranged along 30A, since it took a direct hit from an almost Cat 4, and obviously survived.
This is from an Eglin site:
1975 Hurricane ELOISE: Grayton Beach/Seagrove Beach history With landfall as a deepening Category 3 hurricane (the eye pressure 955mb (28.20 inches of mercury) had fallen 31 millibars in the 24 hours prior to landfall), Eloise is the most intense storm to have ever made a near-direct hit on Eglin AFB and the nearby communities. Winds of 100 knots (115 MPH) were measured at Eglin AFB before a window exploded at the observation station and the recording instrument failed (much to the distress of the young observer who braved the remainder of the storm by himself huddled in the bathroom as glass and debris swirled around him). Sustained winds reached 125 MPH with gusts to 156 MPH at locations along the beach. The two day rainfall at Eglin AFB measured 13.53 inches (with 14.90 inches for a storm total), making this the wettest period in the 50 years of records at the base until Georges broke this record in 1998. With the right hemisphere of the storm coming ashore to the east of East Pass (which connects Choctawhatchee Bay to the Gulf), the bay rose briefly as the storm approached, to levels higher than during the 1936 storm or Flossy, but then fell quickly as the center passed east of Destin (pulling water out of the bay). A significant storm surge did occur eastward, along coastal Walton, Bay and Gulf Counties, where it reached 12-16 feet in some places. The storms's rapid forward speed (it was picked up by the circulation in advance of a strong cold front moving in from the west, and was moving 20+ knots northward at landfall) contributed to the height of the storm surge. A hurricane reconnaissance aircraft reported seeing the Highway 331 Bridge below in a clearing through the clouds as the plane fixed the eye (elliptically shaped, 20 to 10 miles across) coming ashore in eastern Walton County. Damage totalled $1.3 billion in today's dollars (making it among the 20 costliest storms in U.S. history) with 21 deaths (44 died in Puerto Rico earlier as it moved through the Caribbean).
More pictures and first hand descriptions.
http://www.wunderground.com/auto/newsday/hurricane/at197505.asp
http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/historic/nws/nwind8.htm
Did anyone live here then? Just wondering what the surge was like, and how much the coastline was rearranged along 30A, since it took a direct hit from an almost Cat 4, and obviously survived.
This is from an Eglin site:
1975 Hurricane ELOISE: Grayton Beach/Seagrove Beach history With landfall as a deepening Category 3 hurricane (the eye pressure 955mb (28.20 inches of mercury) had fallen 31 millibars in the 24 hours prior to landfall), Eloise is the most intense storm to have ever made a near-direct hit on Eglin AFB and the nearby communities. Winds of 100 knots (115 MPH) were measured at Eglin AFB before a window exploded at the observation station and the recording instrument failed (much to the distress of the young observer who braved the remainder of the storm by himself huddled in the bathroom as glass and debris swirled around him). Sustained winds reached 125 MPH with gusts to 156 MPH at locations along the beach. The two day rainfall at Eglin AFB measured 13.53 inches (with 14.90 inches for a storm total), making this the wettest period in the 50 years of records at the base until Georges broke this record in 1998. With the right hemisphere of the storm coming ashore to the east of East Pass (which connects Choctawhatchee Bay to the Gulf), the bay rose briefly as the storm approached, to levels higher than during the 1936 storm or Flossy, but then fell quickly as the center passed east of Destin (pulling water out of the bay). A significant storm surge did occur eastward, along coastal Walton, Bay and Gulf Counties, where it reached 12-16 feet in some places. The storms's rapid forward speed (it was picked up by the circulation in advance of a strong cold front moving in from the west, and was moving 20+ knots northward at landfall) contributed to the height of the storm surge. A hurricane reconnaissance aircraft reported seeing the Highway 331 Bridge below in a clearing through the clouds as the plane fixed the eye (elliptically shaped, 20 to 10 miles across) coming ashore in eastern Walton County. Damage totalled $1.3 billion in today's dollars (making it among the 20 costliest storms in U.S. history) with 21 deaths (44 died in Puerto Rico earlier as it moved through the Caribbean).
More pictures and first hand descriptions.
http://www.wunderground.com/auto/newsday/hurricane/at197505.asp
http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/historic/nws/nwind8.htm
Photo courtesy of NOAA.
Does this 10' long 2"x4" board sent into this tree by hurricane force winds
answer your questions about how much protection plywood provides to your windows. You better be using at least 3/4" plywood to hope to do any good.
Thanks for all the insights on this thread so far. The best advice so far is:
1. Do whatever you can to prepare your house (including having flood insurance, but insurance people would know more about this recommendation; have strong plywood or shutters for windows/doors).
2. Do not ride the hurricane out, let your family and others know where you are specifically (including name, address, phone, email, etc.).
3. Have a community and personal communication system in place.
4. Have a plan to get back to your place if you can (which may take boats for SoWal.
5. Have all your insurance paperwork and contacts with you, along with cash (we have a friend who's father had a place in NO and has already contacted his insurance company and has things moving already -- he didn't leave NO, but stayed elsewhere in a hotel and had the information and plenty of cash with him if needed).
6. Know where the highest risk areas are (e.g., trailer parks, people living in housing that may not be hurricane resistant) and get to them quickly after the storm.
7. Have our photographers on this site continue to provide the service by photographing areas and houses for people if they are willing to do so (as could anyone with a digital camera who had access to the area).
What's missing from this list? (I'm sure lots)
By the way, of her parents and inlaws who lived in hard-hit areas, her mother's house escaped damage (all the houses on the beach in front of her were gone though, she was up on a hill a bit father from the beach -- they also didn't have big trees that could fall on their house), her in-laws house was OK, and her father in NO lost his house.
By the way, LLBean sells inexpensive windup radios (no battery needed) and we'll get a few of those. LLBean is a reliable store, so they're probably quite good.
1. Do whatever you can to prepare your house (including having flood insurance, but insurance people would know more about this recommendation; have strong plywood or shutters for windows/doors).
2. Do not ride the hurricane out, let your family and others know where you are specifically (including name, address, phone, email, etc.).
3. Have a community and personal communication system in place.
4. Have a plan to get back to your place if you can (which may take boats for SoWal.
5. Have all your insurance paperwork and contacts with you, along with cash (we have a friend who's father had a place in NO and has already contacted his insurance company and has things moving already -- he didn't leave NO, but stayed elsewhere in a hotel and had the information and plenty of cash with him if needed).
6. Know where the highest risk areas are (e.g., trailer parks, people living in housing that may not be hurricane resistant) and get to them quickly after the storm.
7. Have our photographers on this site continue to provide the service by photographing areas and houses for people if they are willing to do so (as could anyone with a digital camera who had access to the area).
What's missing from this list? (I'm sure lots)
By the way, of her parents and inlaws who lived in hard-hit areas, her mother's house escaped damage (all the houses on the beach in front of her were gone though, she was up on a hill a bit father from the beach -- they also didn't have big trees that could fall on their house), her in-laws house was OK, and her father in NO lost his house.
By the way, LLBean sells inexpensive windup radios (no battery needed) and we'll get a few of those. LLBean is a reliable store, so they're probably quite good.
I have a 6th floor unit at One Seagrove Place. When purchasing coverage, the insurance agent told me that flood insurance covers only rising water. Based on info I'm reading here, flood insurance is needed to cover wind driven rain? :?:
here be my 2cents:
1. A back up communications system in place - good old CB radio - car and mobile units are now 5 watts and go for miles, no license required, not monitored and battery powered/low power requirements, with 40 channels to choose from for your 'sowal channel' - ain't nothing else that won't be jammed with idiots talking on and on about the storm. Stay off the bloody ham radio - we (yes, I'm a ARO) do a lot of good but with idiots talking about the storm it gets full too. Licenses have been pulled, recordings are being made, and many, many citations will be handed out for ham radio use for non-emergency communications during Katrina's emergency only traffic.
2. Places for people who live in SoWal to stay if they can't get to their homes or live in their homes - should be a predefined 'rally point', say the big Holiday Inn at Dothan Alabama on 231 (that's ours). 231 through panama city is always connected since it is the railway link and has no long bridges
3. Quick availability of essential supplies (water, food, etc.) - everyone should have an emergency kit always ready for fire, flood (non-hurricane), power outage, etc. It should contain a minimum of bottled water, clean dry clothes and shoes, some non-fridge food and a am radio. Ours is in a sealed waterproof canoe-river-type float bag inside a plastic tub, and also includes a small battery powered tv (priceless), a really big flashlight (priceless), lots and lots and lots of batteries (priceless), a backpacking-type tiny gas stove with little pots and pans (priceless) to make coffee and also to cook and eat as much food from the fridge as possible before it spoils and also to heat with in winter, lots of blankets and a small tent. A snowstorm cut us off last winter and after 4 days of no power or water last winter a man finally came around from the local volunteer fire department to see if those of us who live out here in the sticks were ok. As he hit the door his glasses fogged up, a cup of hot coffee was pushed into his hand and we had to turn down the tv. Nuff said.
4. The support services that would really be provided quickly through local and government agencies, how to get them, and which are most likely to be counted on to respond quickly and effectively in SoWal (again, they may be focused on other areas). Trust no one. Best bet: assume that you are the only one with a still living brain and you will have no problem.
Be self sufficent, think ahead and be sure to test your planning.
Easiest way to set up and test your survival kit is to simply go primitive camping using only your emergency kit. You'll be suprised at what you thought ahead of time was necessary, and what is really necessary (like a razor for shaving, sunburn cream, something really long to read, a freaking chair to sit on, an air mattress, even a small fishing kit)!
Good store for kit supplies: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/home/index.jsp
1. A back up communications system in place - good old CB radio - car and mobile units are now 5 watts and go for miles, no license required, not monitored and battery powered/low power requirements, with 40 channels to choose from for your 'sowal channel' - ain't nothing else that won't be jammed with idiots talking on and on about the storm. Stay off the bloody ham radio - we (yes, I'm a ARO) do a lot of good but with idiots talking about the storm it gets full too. Licenses have been pulled, recordings are being made, and many, many citations will be handed out for ham radio use for non-emergency communications during Katrina's emergency only traffic.
2. Places for people who live in SoWal to stay if they can't get to their homes or live in their homes - should be a predefined 'rally point', say the big Holiday Inn at Dothan Alabama on 231 (that's ours). 231 through panama city is always connected since it is the railway link and has no long bridges
3. Quick availability of essential supplies (water, food, etc.) - everyone should have an emergency kit always ready for fire, flood (non-hurricane), power outage, etc. It should contain a minimum of bottled water, clean dry clothes and shoes, some non-fridge food and a am radio. Ours is in a sealed waterproof canoe-river-type float bag inside a plastic tub, and also includes a small battery powered tv (priceless), a really big flashlight (priceless), lots and lots and lots of batteries (priceless), a backpacking-type tiny gas stove with little pots and pans (priceless) to make coffee and also to cook and eat as much food from the fridge as possible before it spoils and also to heat with in winter, lots of blankets and a small tent. A snowstorm cut us off last winter and after 4 days of no power or water last winter a man finally came around from the local volunteer fire department to see if those of us who live out here in the sticks were ok. As he hit the door his glasses fogged up, a cup of hot coffee was pushed into his hand and we had to turn down the tv. Nuff said.
4. The support services that would really be provided quickly through local and government agencies, how to get them, and which are most likely to be counted on to respond quickly and effectively in SoWal (again, they may be focused on other areas). Trust no one. Best bet: assume that you are the only one with a still living brain and you will have no problem.
Be self sufficent, think ahead and be sure to test your planning.
Easiest way to set up and test your survival kit is to simply go primitive camping using only your emergency kit. You'll be suprised at what you thought ahead of time was necessary, and what is really necessary (like a razor for shaving, sunburn cream, something really long to read, a freaking chair to sit on, an air mattress, even a small fishing kit)!
Good store for kit supplies: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/home/index.jsp
Okay AB...this is the best info yet!!! I am printing it out now. About the ham radio...I have friends that live full time on a sailboat and that was the first thing he said after the hurricane as far as communication, interesting to know your experience and your suggesting of a CB radio! Wise words from a wise guy! (I mean that in the nicest way...although I do enjoy your funnies too!)
QUOTE: (much to the distress of the young observer who braved the remainder of the storm by himself huddled in the bathroom as glass and debris swirled around him). /QUOTE:
DUH! GET IT YET? LEAVE!!
DUH! GET IT YET? LEAVE!!