To Those Where Hurricane Irma Will Hit

[docterfreeze]

No one handles hurricanes better than Floridians.

If you live in a sturdy house it can be an exciting experience. Afterwards it's pretty relaxing to take a stroll and check out the scenery.

[kail]

No one handles hurricanes better than Floridians.

If you live in a sturdy house it can be an exciting experience. Afterwards it's pretty relaxing to take a stroll and check out the scenery.

Wilma was my worse experience, really shitty to go 4+ days of no electricity.

Still living in S. Florida, half of my guild is worried about me and irl co-worker.

[grandpab]

I'm thinking about driving out. Hopefully I can make a decision in the morning. I got about a 5 hour drive just to get out of the state, but I've got familly in TN so I can make it a little road trip and do some sightseeing with my dog. If it's gonna be a 4 and I don't think we'll get a direct hit I might stay.

[Rasulis]

Not really. There just isn't a system in place for the categories.

Cat1=74-95mph 21
Cat2=96-110 14
Cat3=111-129 18
Cat4=130-156 26
Cat5<157

You could easily 'say' that Cat5 is 157-175, Cat6 is 176-195, Cat 7 is 196-210

Hurricane Allen reached 190mph so based off my (totally made up) system, it would have been a 6 or 7.

So far, it's not. It might be soon, but currently it's not. Allen was also Atlantic.

There is no reason for a category 6 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. It is designed to measure potential damage of a hurricane to man-made structures. Once you get up into wind speed in excess of 155 mph, no matter how well the building is engineered, you are looking at catastrophic failure at 6-second gust wind speed. The current design standard is only based on 3-second gust wind speed.

The scale itself is a bit simplistic. It does not take into account the physical size of the storm, translational velocity, nor the amount of precipitation it produces.

[Doctor Amadeus]

Not really. There just isn't a system in place for the categories.

Cat1=74-95mph 21
Cat2=96-110 14
Cat3=111-129 18
Cat4=130-156 26
Cat5<157

You could easily 'say' that Cat5 is 157-175, Cat6 is 176-195, Cat 7 is 196-210

Hurricane Allen reached 190mph so based off my (totally made up) system, it would have been a 6 or 7.

So far, it's not. It might be soon, but currently it's not. Allen was also Atlantic.

what about a Cat 8 211 - 215, Cat 9 216 - 230. Cat 10 231-245

Kat Von D?

[Rasulis]

We are constantly updating databases to calculate risk

The FEMA Flood Risk Maps need to be updated badly. Unfortunately, Congress has not appropriated enough money for the work. The current maps also do not take into account future impact of climate change or the impact of real estate development in the area. The maps themselves are incomplete. Also, any attempt to increase the size of the flood plain usually encountered fierce resistance from the building/construction trade organizations. As inadequate as the maps are, they are often ignored, as in the case of Houston.

[Eldar45]

Global warming is real, America.

Has little to do with this storm. Heat isn't the only factor in storm strength.

[Rasulis]

California can't even have big Earthquakes, we're pretty much maxed out at 7.9/8.0, which while rough, we've managed to build our structures to survive them quite easily.

Heck, just today we've had 26 earthquakes in the state, over 8k in the last year, most of them you can't feel, or it's like a subtle vibration. Last one was a baby, 1.6, about 30 minutes ago!

The worst EQ ever in the state, in 1906 in San Francisco, only killed 3k people. Besides that (and once we learned how to build stuff properly), the next highest was 115 in the 40s, and then they required school buildings to meet the same standards as residential/commerical buildings.

Just an interesting info, combined earthquake damage cost for CA since 1970 is 31 billion. That include some major events the like of Loma Prieta (7.1), San Fernando (6.6) which resulted in a 12-mile long surface rupture, and Northridge (6.7) which occurred on a blind thrust fault, and produced the strongest ground motions ever instrumentally recorded in an urban setting in North America.

[jimboa24]

The number of people I've talked to in Florida who are terrified of earthquakes in Cali astounds me.

The real major natural disaster that California deals with regularly is NOT earthquakes. It's wildfires.

[Deleted]

Texas is just a flat slab of concrete. FL is a giant sponge of chalk and marshlands with some degree of elevation

[chazus]

There is no reason for a category 6 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. It is designed to measure potential damage of a hurricane to man-made structures.

That was pretty much my point. I was explaining that we -have- things that would be on a higher scale if it existed, but it doesnt, so they aren't. It's not that we haven't had hurricanes that big.

[Bathory]

Might as well go right for cat 11

We're reaching levels of cat that shouldn't even be possible right meow.

[Lahis]

Will Disney World Castle land in the sea, Georgia or Alabama?

[God Save The King]

Just an interesting info, combined earthquake damage cost for CA since 1970 is 31 billion. That include some major events the like of Loma Prieta (7.1), San Fernando (6.6) which resulted in a 12-mile long surface rupture, and Northridge (6.7) which occurred on a blind thrust fault, and produced the strongest ground motions ever instrumentally recorded in an urban setting in North America.

If you break that across the 47 years, its 660 million/year, or less than .2% of the annual budget of the state. They set aside quite more than that for disaster relief. California isn't a poor state that tends to need federal aid to deal with its problems, the state is usually quite self-sufficient.

[moremana]

I think I will go see my daughter in Pa.

Load up all my valuable shit and paperwork and take a mini vacation.

[Xheoul]

I'm in Puerto Rico and it's absolutely terrifying. My wife and I have made all the preparations we can but even then, our local electric company (the only electric company in the island) advised we should make preparations to be a whole 4 months without any power. Not only am I not looking forward to this storm, but the aftermath is going to suck big time.

Nothing like a historical catastrophic hurricane during an economic crisis to cheer up the mood, right?

[Xheoul]

...
How on earth can people survive without electric power for 4 months?

Last year we had a blackout where we were without power for roughly 1 and a half months, almost 2. It was literally hell. Not to mention that our water company (again, the only water company in the island) pretty much says "yeah we cant work without power either". So a lot of the times it's no power and no water.

I honestly can't wait to leave. Between the corrupt government and the lavish spending of public funds Puerto Rico's infrastructure is in shambles. Our power company (AEE) has a monopoly on the island and is trying to file for bankruptcy. How that happens is beyond me.

[tylenol]

Btw a curious question but since we don't have disasters here

How does labor law treat these states of emergency? Are employees afforded days of leave during the emergency or are they still expected to show up? Is it up to the company and if so, do companies in these areas usually have clear policies with dealing with such conditions?

No source to back this up but I'm fairly sure the only people who would get fired (not necessarily fired) for not showing up in a situation like this would be police, firefighters, medical people and whatnot, I'm sure there are some scumbag companies out there though

[draynay]

The real major natural disaster that California deals with regularly is NOT earthquakes. It's wildfires.

Ugh, tell me about it. The good news is that all the hills around me have burned, so they can't really burn again.

[Lahis]

Ugh, tell me about it. The good news is that all the hills around me have burned, so they can't really burn again.

Give it a few years for new bushes to grow