Going to Florida this week?

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When they do the rebuilds after these storms are they redesigning things so they can take a hit and then simply flick the shutters open - or are they just replacing like for like...?

Imagine putting in high speed wind turbines so the power doesn't go out when the wind comes, bury the power lines and so on...
 
You'd think the Americans would have the sense to build all their properties in hurricane prone areas out of reinforced concrete.
Nope, loads of the houses I saw in Florida are still timber framed and the three little pigs wouldn't be safe when it gets a bit windy.:fail
 
You'd think the Americans would have the sense to build all their properties in hurricane prone areas out of reinforced concrete.
Nope, loads of the houses I saw in Florida are still timber framed and the three little pigs wouldn't be safe when it gets a bit windy.:fail

Interesting comments.
Where in Florida were you?
Perhaps your perceptions were a bit confused.

Let's deal with Florida for the record since you have mentioned it.
Really there is a two part divide within that state.
South Florida is quite aware of severe storms and has building codes to cover that!
Notably it is a concrete block construction for most dwellings with steel reinforcement and hurricane wind anchors for roofs etc. Remember Florida is sat on a coral bed so the material it is used for concrete material bases.

In the northern parts like Tallahassee there are fewer stronger storms of hurricane strength, hence some construction is of stick and frame materials using wood. Much of the decisions are based the threat of termites which is a big problem in the US in certain parts.

Now as you move north into the older ex colonial areas of the NE USA you see a much larger propensity of brick and stone construction following colonial building methods. Equally there can be houses made of wood (post and beam) going back to British rule of its former colony interspersed with wooden houses like the salt box and 5 over 4 regency style seen on the UK such as the Fenlands.
I like upstate NY and New England for magnificent brick and stone construction with fine American cherry & oak wood trim.

As you move west just like Canada most of the housing stock is wood stick and frame over a crawl space or basement . This is for practical purposes !
The wind and killer cold weather out on the plains can be vicious and far more aggressive (and deadly) than anything the UK can throw at you.

Getting out to the far southwest and south of me you again get the mix of adobe construction on a concrete slab base. Again practicality and the desert heat often getting up to 40c in summer.

Then out onto the West Coast with a mix of all types depending again upon the local conditions like earthquakes and hurricanes and material available.


Now it is worthy to mention that there are what are known as trailer parks.
Basically mobile homes in single and double wide configurations
.

These are basic starter homes for the young and retirees. They allow people looking for a house to get into the market . (Just like the UK.)
You find these all over the place including Florida where they are especially popular at resorts where land/property prices are high!

They are what i would call glorified Prefabs when i grew up in Gloucestershire in the 50's and housing stocks were slim.
Of course because they are cheap, the construction is the minimum to secure!
A new mobile home can cost as little as $40,000 new, if you have some land to sit it on ! Rent or Buy .Terms are like buying car!
If you get a hurricane then they are likely to be the first casualties if being ripped to bits by wind and rain, or actually taking off and flying around in tornado! (I kid you not)

Often these provide the sensational pictures on TV beamed across the pond!

Also do take into account that Americans and Canadians are much more upward & mobile especially in the blue collar sectors. Live in Arkansas but get a short term oil field contract in Port Arthur Tx. Simply hook up the 40 ft travel trailer to the pick up and head the the next job . Once arrived hook up to the facilities in a trailer park and its "home sweet home"!
This goes on all over the USA but get hit by a hurricane then it means that the flimsy travel trailer is going to be torn to bits .

Yes it's easy to be critical of the US when you have only limited facts to go on!
The USA is a huge place and the UK is so small by comparison! It can fit into the state of Idaho. The country can in fact be facing multiple storm threats at any one time.
So the US is not so stupid as many of you might think! In fact I once upon a time tried to use my UK attitudes to gauge their reactions & methods of dealing with many things in life.
After being here for some time I could at last see their expediency and it wasn't quite how I then perceived it as before . , Preferring to shamefully deflate my ONCE superior Brit puff chestedness for a more pragmatic appreciation of American approach to life here!

I think it is a wonderful place and I have always considered it a place to live ever since I came here as a feral boy with two American feral lads who were living in Brize Norton AFB.

It begs the question of course how would the UK react to such catastrophes. There has only been really one douzie i can remember just!--I was six years old when this hit!
One thing I will say is the US population has a strong sense of community and self help. They are much more disposed to helping each other than the I am all right Jack Brit postures

Its easy to criticize until you are faced with such a disaster!
How would you measure up?
Tuercas Viejas
p.s.
Take a look at this for a sense of disaster which can still recall vague memories
Lovely opening with fine Scots accents including that of Ewan McCallum which seems to set the stage for bad weather by the way!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vARjm3yHKzY
 
Low cost US housing and flood areas

IS2ny0y3c7n0vh0000000000-2028-Bridgeport-Dr-Providence-Village-TX-76227.jpg


I understand the British criticisms, but a couple of things have got "lost in translation":

1) Southern US housing is VERY cheap. I have friends in Dallas who own a new large comfortable three bed house with a quadruple car garage overlooking a park, on a village style development with shared pools, community facilities, and community woodlands & lakes. Cost in the UK? £500k - £1 million? Price in Texas: less than £200,000. Here's an example: https://www.trulia.com/property/3276832573-2028-Bridgeport-Dr-Providence-Village-TX-76227

We build our houses to withstand our weather, but that comes at a big price.

What happens if the house gets hit by a Tornado? They just rebuild it at a cost of maybe £70-100k (sic)

2) Flood damage isn't the Commercial insurance risk that it is in the UK. The State runs its own (slightly incompetent) flood insurance which just pays out, regardless. As a result, people just build on flood plains and claim when they're inundated, and claim when they're inundated again, and claim when they're inundated again....

So the system is such that the Government takes the risk and pays out. No-one gets refused flood insurance because they've been flooded before. "Stupid system" but that's not the first time that that has been said about ANY government system.
 
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Yes the southern part of the US have cheap land prices which is reflected in the value.
Obviously, depending upon where you are the same house can vary as much as 500% more especially if you take in So Cal.

Being in Denver, house prices and the competition is high and so is the demand for for single family dwellings similar to that same house as pictured! You would be lucky to snap it up for $500,000.
As for flood insurance it has its uses and its stupid systems (of course its Gov) but the objects/subject matter is best covered by this;-
https://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program
Tuercas viejas
 
I suppose this hurricane can be called the 'American Nightmare', opposite the 'American Dream'.

I know living in Blighty might be considered boring compared to other, more exotic, parts of the world, but then the risk to human life from weather or venomous beasties is also miniscule compared to other parts of the world, such as the Americas or Australasia (or even the African continent). Yep, Europe is considerably safer than other parts of the world in my opinion.
 
They'd have to invent the Category 6 definition first - at the moment there's no such thing.
Exactly!
But the weather pundits over here have mentioned that this is the biggest Atlantic storm in modern times and MIGHT be posing winds above Cat 5 specs! So they may have to create a Cat 6 if it comes on shore as that with sustained winds.
Tuercas Viejas
 
Keep safe from Irma-geddon, Floridians!
 

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