and as we head into hurrican season...

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Still no head of FEMA after seven candidates (one I know personally) took themselves out of the running for the job (read: turned it down).

Had an interesting conversation with the head of a emergency response data company today. Said he was waiting for the subpeonas regarding Katrina. They have all of the communications between the state and feds. While the state screwed the pooch, they have documented requests for assistance that were made early and often by the state. In fact there are several thousand requests that are still sitting in the system, ignored and or lost by the feds.

Not a pretty picture. Best of luck to you guys in the south this year...and I hope we don't have a nice big quake any time soon.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

I plan on investing in plywood futures

Hugh R · 04-04-2006, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by red-beard
I plan on investing in plywood futures

I like it!

bigchillcar · bigchillcar's Garage

Quote:

I plan on investing in plywood futures

don't forget 'generator futures' either!
ryan

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

I already have one of those. I need 10 more sheets of plywood.

bigchillcar · bigchillcar's Garage

after katrina, wood was 'high as a kite' at the local lowe's and home depot. major impact for sure..
ryan

pbs911 · pbs911's Garage

If you rent a place, is it the land lord's responsibiltity to hurricane prep the abode? This is going to be my first Florida hurrican season and really don't know who the obligation falls upon.

bigchillcar · bigchillcar's Garage

when i rented in florida, the owner and i extended the hurrican shutters on my cottage hours before andrew hit in '92. i don't know the law on this though..
ryan

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

I guess I will have to apply.

Moneyguy1 · 04-04-2006, 10:44 PM

Waiting for the day I am the proud owner of oceanfront property!!

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

LOL!

RoninLB · 04-04-2006, 10:47 PM

Around here the renter can buy renter's insurance but not for flood insurance. That's the property owner's expense.

The Army Engineers has been involved with building up the beaches for hurricane protection around here. Local politics on any desirable plan has been going on for over 10 years. This week at a town meeting the AE has said my town is vulnerable to devastation without added protection. His rhetoric has become more demanding in the past 3 years. He's basically telling the local citizenry to Shiite or get off the pot. The last big hurricane was about a cat 2 in the 1930s where houses were lifted off their foundations. This place is an inlet waiting to happen. It's a numbers game and the numbers have become less favorable to survival of my real estate. A cat 4 and my town is history. The fun will be ordering evacuation of 8 million people from a concrete jungle called nyc & metro.

wtf.. nothing lasts forever.

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

I think my first act as head of FEMA is to buy those yellow school buses that New Orleans is selling to send your way.

speeder · speeder's Garage

They are selling them on eBay from what I read somewhere.

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

pristine condition...complete with cool collar...only driven on sundays by a little old lady.

RoninLB · 04-04-2006, 11:02 PM

Most don't take an on going hurricane seriously around here till it's north of the carolinas. By that time you have 6-12 hrs before getting blasted. You can't get anywhere in rush hour traffic to start with. A good wack from a hurricane will make Katrina's $100Bill cost look like small potatoes.

An old Army Engineers survey from the 1970s figured 10 feet of water on the streets in the center of Long Island from a biggie.

screw gulf coast barrier protection.

rhaas · 04-05-2006, 07:15 AM

I hope to god that I don't have to worry about getting hit this year also. I don't even have my house back together yet.
oh and RoninLB, the barrier islands only help break the waves, the shallow water in between the islands and the coast amplifies any surge effects. That is why we had a 30+ foot storm surge.
my house is 20 foot elevation, and it still flooded over 10 feet in my yard.

TerryBPP · 04-05-2006, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nostatic
Still no head of FEMA after seven candidates (one I know personally) took themselves out of the running for the job (read: turned it down).

Had an interesting conversation with the head of a emergency response data company today. Said he was waiting for the subpeonas regarding Katrina. They have all of the communications between the state and feds. While the state screwed the pooch, they have documented requests for assistance that were made early and often by the state. In fact there are several thousand requests that are still sitting in the system, ignored and or lost by the feds.

Not a pretty picture. Best of luck to you guys in the south this year...and I hope we don't have a nice big quake any time soon.

Unlike some, most South Floridians are well aware of the dangers of hurricanes and leave or make proper precautions during the 2 week advanced notice.

In my experience, if you depend on other you will always be let down.

singpilot · 04-05-2006, 08:05 AM

I go the Jet2-Jet86 route a lot lately. Went right over Houston to Sarasota late the other night. The lights of Nawlins were almost bact to normal, but not the suburbs, and most of the Mississppi coast was still pretty dark. Says it all for me.

bigchillcar · bigchillcar's Garage

wow, sing..that is a change. flying 'rubber dog ****' in and out of central and south america, i'd often take that 'skyway' in the old lears..it was a neat 'lightshow', especially with all of the rigs at night dotting the coastline and up to 50+ miles out into the gulf. used to be a pretty sight..
ryan