Here we go again........ hurricanes.

[Joe 1320]

After missing tropical storm Cindy (my ex-wife's name, no less), the latest hurricane is narrowly missing my part of the state and heading northward. We're just getting some of the squal bands with occational 45-50 mph winds. I haven't even finished putting the place back together from last year. I'm really beginning to think I need to get the heck out of this state. I've been though so many of them over the last 35 years here in Florida, but as of late it seems to be increasing in frequency. If I don't get out of the state, I feel like having a hurricane proof place custom built. It needs to be built into a hillside with the majority of the house protected underground. I hope anyone in the path of this one stays safe. They aren't something to take lightly.

[Steel2686]

Glad to hear it missed you, Joe. I was watching The Weather Channel last week. they said we're just entering a cycle which happens every 50 - 70 years, and can last as long as 10 years. It's going to be a busy few years with hurricanes. The main problem is how much Florida has built up since the last cycle. There is so much more to lose now.

[smokin2001Formula]

I live in Tallahassee and am not looking forward to the bad hurricane coming this way. It is gonna be rough for the next few days.

[MN6WS6]

I live in Mobile, so if any of you guys wanna trade houses within the next, oh, say, 2 hours, let me know. I'll gladly move to Florida for the next week so somebody else can clean my yard after this one. I just got done putting up 12 boards on the windows, 5 of which are full 4X8 sheets of 3/4" plywood, at about 100#'s a piece. 3 of those had to be lifted more than 3 feet off the ground to be set. Yee freakin haw.

[Dave M]

sometimes Pennsylvania doesn't seem so bad.

[TruckMuddr]

Everyone was runnin around with there head cut off gettin ready for Dennis, and we've maybe had 2" of rain.

Here is the Radar from Key West. http://www.srh.noaa.gov/radar/loop/D.../si.kbyx.shtml

[thenuge876]

Hope everyone stays safe through this hurricane, and Joe too through the remainder of the hurricane season.

And i agree with dave, we never seem to get hit too hard wiht anything hear in PA. I guess were a little lucky that way.

[wolfdogs]

i know broh. the first two people i thought of was you and Jimbo in melbourne... he should fair well though.

lets hope that new roof rocks!

[fastTa]

I live in Mobile, so if any of you guys wanna trade houses within the next, oh, say, 2 hours, let me know. I'll gladly move to Florida for the next week so somebody else can clean my yard after this one. I just got done putting up 12 boards on the windows, 5 of which are full 4X8 sheets of 3/4" plywood, at about 100#'s a piece. 3 of those had to be lifted more than 3 feet off the ground to be set. Yee freakin haw.

Stay safe man. Dennis looks to be headed right for you. Say a prayer for ya.

Lock that CBR up!

[Christopherrr]

Be safe down there Joe... I can't believe the season is starting again already. I can still remember when last years storms hit. Be safe...and keep those cars out of the way!

[TraceZ]

Couldn't you build a house with formed concrete walls and a spancrete roof? You could have thick metal storm shutters over the windows.

Basements for homes are commonly built with formed concrete, why not build a house above ground using the same method? Topping it off with a spancrete roof would be easy enough and just think... you could park cars on the roof!

[Joe 1320]

Couldn't you build a house with formed concrete walls and a spancrete roof? You could have thick metal storm shutters over the windows.

Basements for homes are commonly built with formed concrete, why not build a house above ground using the same method? Topping it off with a spancrete roof would be easy enough and just think... you could park cars on the roof!

Actually, the design to have down here is called a Raised Ranch style. The basement/garage is technically the ground floor, the rest of the house is built above that and tons of dirt is used to build up the grounds so that entering from the front door, it appears as though you are at the ground floor...... but in reality you are entering the second story. Usually the garage/basement entrance is around the rear of the house and is hidden from the front. That is the only practical way to do it in most parts of Florida because the water table is so high. If you try to dig down for a basement, you hit water. My next home here will most likely be that style, with a seperate garage added on for my extra playtoys.

[Injuneer]

Looks like you're still online.... that's a good sign. Did you get that Mufflex installed yet ? Did you figure out how to put the IM pipe back together?

Good luck with the rest of "Dennis".

[FlyerPoot]

I live in the Clearwater area, and although we barely got tropical storm force winds, we still saw damage like this:



I live maybe a mile away, and I heard those metal posts snapping. Actually when I heard the noise yesterday, I didn't know what it was, but when I drove by, this would have been a logical explanation. They were holding up a screen shielding the road from the hackers at the driving range there.

My mom lives in Pensacola, and they're getting hit by Dennis pretty bad right now. It's gonna be ugly up there.

[TraceZ]

Actually, the design to have down here is called a Raised Ranch style. The basement/garage is technically the ground floor, the rest of the house is built above that and tons of dirt is used to build up the grounds so that entering from the front door, it appears as though you are at the ground floor...... but in reality you are entering the second story. Usually the garage/basement entrance is around the rear of the house and is hidden from the front. That is the only practical way to do it in most parts of Florida because the water table is so high. If you try to dig down for a basement, you hit water. My next home here will most likely be that style, with a seperate garage added on for my extra playtoys.

I understand that... What I'm saying is to build the formed concrete walls above ground. You would basically be building an above ground cement bunker with a concrete roof and steel storm shutters. You could finish the concrete walls in stucco to make it look more appealing and less like an industrial building.