In article ,
Mike1 wrote:
Icebound wrote:
Here we have a "weak" hurricane, well advertised for a week... track and
landfall intensity pretty accurately forecast.... and yet we have 15
deaths (http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2003...197314-cp.html)
and a whole lot of close calls.

It may be bust as compared to category 5 at landfall, but still hardly a
"bust" for those affected.


The question is: Why were they affected?

Fabian delivered wind gusts over 130mph to Bermuda, yet there was little
damage.

I am not sure where you got that information. There was substantial
property damage throughout Bermuda.

Isabel's peak wind gusts ashore was barely over 100mph, yet
according to the news, 75% of the property in northeastern North
Carolina suffered "major property damage". Figuring that coastal
flooding can only represent a small portion of that, that means that
most of this was wind damage.

Tree branches blowing into buildings, other debris, etc. Not direct
wind damage.

What we have here is not a storm problem but an idiot problem:

* Idiots who don't prune the 120ft trees on their property.

Actually, trees have been shown to prevent property damage if properly
maintained.
--
Guns were not for girls. They were for boys. They were invented by
boys. They were invented by boys who had never gotten over their
disappointment that accompanying their own orgasm wasn't a big BOOM
sound. Lorrie Moore

Icebound wrote:

Here we have a "weak" hurricane, well advertised for a week... track and
landfall intensity pretty accurately forecast.... and yet we have 15
deaths (http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2003...197314-cp.html)
and a whole lot of close calls.

It may be bust as compared to category 5 at landfall, but still hardly a
"bust" for those affected.


The question is: Why were they affected?

Fabian delivered wind gusts over 130mph to Bermuda, yet there was little
damage. Isabel's peak wind gusts ashore was barely over 100mph, yet
according to the news, 75% of the property in northeastern North
Carolina suffered "major property damage". Figuring that coastal
flooding can only represent a small portion of that, that means that
most of this was wind damage.

What we have here is not a storm problem but an idiot problem:

* Idiots who don't prune the 120ft trees on their property.
* Idiots who don't pick up their yard.
* Idiots who build elevated slap-board porches enclosed by screen mesh.
* Idiots who living in plywood houses with aluminum siding that a
cross-eyed stare could destroy.

.....so in even a weak storm, the air is filled with flying crap.

--

Reply to sans two @@, or your reply won't reach me.

"An election is nothing more than an advance auction of stolen goods."
-- Ambrose Bierce

I live just east of New Bern, the eyewall was about 20-30 miles east of us.
There was less damage in New Bern than there was with Fran. The real problem
was the surge. My friends father lives in Sealevel which went through the
eye and he lives in a house built right after the 33 hurricane. The flooding
was worse than the 33 hurricane. And the 33 storm was the worst in living
memory in that area. The 33 storm created Bardens Inlet at Cape Lookout. As
a surge example: for hours before landfall the winds where NE in New Bern,
the Neuse River runs NE at the mouth and water was rushing to New Bern.
After the eye passed and the wind began to shift all that water headed back
down river which it would have done on its own but this time it was aided by
high winds. This caused extensive flooding at Adam's Creek. There was
probably a similar scenario farther down east. The wind really did not cause
that many problems on its own. By the way there is not a tree over 20 feet
on the Outer Banks. Never was, never will be.

"Mike1" wrote in message
...
Icebound wrote:

Here we have a "weak" hurricane, well advertised for a week... track and
landfall intensity pretty accurately forecast.... and yet we have 15
deaths (http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2003...197314-cp.html)
and a whole lot of close calls.

It may be bust as compared to category 5 at landfall, but still hardly a
"bust" for those affected.


The question is: Why were they affected?

Fabian delivered wind gusts over 130mph to Bermuda, yet there was little
damage. Isabel's peak wind gusts ashore was barely over 100mph, yet
according to the news, 75% of the property in northeastern North
Carolina suffered "major property damage". Figuring that coastal
flooding can only represent a small portion of that, that means that
most of this was wind damage.

What we have here is not a storm problem but an idiot problem:

* Idiots who don't prune the 120ft trees on their property.
* Idiots who don't pick up their yard.
* Idiots who build elevated slap-board porches enclosed by screen mesh.
* Idiots who living in plywood houses with aluminum siding that a
cross-eyed stare could destroy.

....so in even a weak storm, the air is filled with flying crap.

--

Reply to sans two @@, or your reply won't reach me.

"An election is nothing more than an advance auction of stolen goods."
-- Ambrose Bierce

I can see what the original poster is getting at.

Most folk knew Isabel was on its way, they had been warned and they had enough time to get out and stay out, even if was just to a local shelter, they could have done so till the danger has passed. Its not like they were killed or injured inside a shelter, they were not.

But was this because they were ignorant to the dangers of Isabel, or was it because Isabel was 'disappointingly (from the reporters/news teams point of view) downgraded from a cat 5 to a cat 2 storm. Therefore they were led to believe the threat was not so serious?

I also think the damage was greater because these areas have not been hit by such a strong force for quite sometime, making older trees etc more likely to fall under such pressure.

Just a thought.

Joolz

"Joolz" wrote:

But was this because they were ignorant to the dangers of Isabel, or was it
because Isabel was 'disappointingly (from the reporters/news teams point of
view) downgraded from a cat 5 to a cat 2 storm. Therefore they were led to
believe the threat was not so serious?


How can anybody be ignorant when one of the slowest moving hurricanes in
history is yacked about on every TV channel for at least a week in
advance?


I also think the damage was greater because these areas have not been hit by
such a strong force for quite sometime, making older trees etc more likely to
fall under such pressure.


An excessively rainy summer would cause many trees to put out up to
twice their usual annual leaf growth; increased wind resistance may have
caused blow downs out of normal proportion with the strength of the
storm.

--

Reply to sans two @@, or your reply won't reach me.

"An election is nothing more than an advance auction of stolen goods."
-- Ambrose Bierce

(Sim Aberson) wrote:
Mike1 wrote:
* Idiots who don't prune the 120ft trees on their property.

Actually, trees have been shown to prevent property damage if properly
maintained.


Did I suggest they were idiots for merely having trees?

--

Reply to sans two @@, or your reply won't reach me.

"An election is nothing more than an advance auction of stolen goods."
-- Ambrose Bierce

It seems Isabel did a number on coastal Virginia. I have relatives still
without power and telephone service there.

Niki
http://www.nikianntaylor.com

my daughter in law who lives in westmoreland county expects to be without
power, water & phone for another 15 days.


TylrN wrote:
It seems Isabel did a number on coastal Virginia. I have relatives
still without power and telephone service there.

Niki
http://www.nikianntaylor.com

Not quite a bust, but could have been if it werent for the saturated tree
roots. Really the winds were not all that strong, except in gusts.
Isabel was a large storm in size. When it died to a CAT2 storm, it
actually expanded its windfield a whole lot, hence all the great damage. If
it came in as a Cat 5, the coast would probably not even exist, but it would
have died harder and quicker, the wind field not as large, but still strong
enuff to affect inland areas fairly well. I bet it would have been slightly
worse well inland if it came in as CAT5 or 4. Yet, again, the trees were
the main issue here as they were already weakened, so maybe it would be a
lot worse b/c of trees crashing thats all.

After all set and done, I give it an 8 out of 10 stars. It kind of
impressed me and yes, i underestimated her. THe power outages were
phenominal! Most impressive! Go Isabel!
95% of the area without lights for almost 2 weeks

"gardenia" wrote in message
m...
my daughter in law who lives in westmoreland county expects to be without
power, water & phone for another 15 days.


TylrN wrote:
It seems Isabel did a number on coastal Virginia. I have relatives
still without power and telephone service there.

Niki
http://www.nikianntaylor.com

In my opinion Juan was even more underestimated than Isabel . Anyone
see the damage caused by that one ???




Op Thu, 6 Nov 2003 23:15:21 -0500 schreef "Adam Ross"
:

Not quite a bust, but could have been if it werent for the saturated tree
roots. Really the winds were not all that strong, except in gusts.
Isabel was a large storm in size. When it died to a CAT2 storm, it
actually expanded its windfield a whole lot, hence all the great damage. If
it came in as a Cat 5, the coast would probably not even exist, but it would
have died harder and quicker, the wind field not as large, but still strong
enuff to affect inland areas fairly well. I bet it would have been slightly
worse well inland if it came in as CAT5 or 4. Yet, again, the trees were
the main issue here as they were already weakened, so maybe it would be a
lot worse b/c of trees crashing thats all.

After all set and done, I give it an 8 out of 10 stars. It kind of
impressed me and yes, i underestimated her. THe power outages were
phenominal! Most impressive! Go Isabel!
95% of the area without lights for almost 2 weeks

"gardenia" wrote in message
om...
my daughter in law who lives in westmoreland county expects to be without
power, water & phone for another 15 days.


TylrN wrote:
It seems Isabel did a number on coastal Virginia. I have relatives
still without power and telephone service there.

Niki
http://www.nikianntaylor.com