[Info-vax] Completely OT: Frank Lloyd Wright

[AEF]

On Oct 29, 12:17 pm, AEF <spamsink2... at yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Oct 28, 5:52 pm, JF Mezei <jfmezei.spam... at vaxination.ca> wrote:
[...]
> > On 12-10-28 11:44, John E. Malmberg wrote:
>
> > > Standard operating procedure appears to be to buy more perishables like
> > > Milk than you can possibly use before they expire before any major storm.

Hey, many will be without power for days or weeks from Hurricane
Sandy! Good luck keeping your fridge cold for even a day. You'd need
lots of ice for this!

>
> > In the case of Mr VAXman, the only question is how long will his stock
> > of Guinness last ?  :-)
>
> > Back in 1996, I experienced Olivia. (North west Australia, it was
> > between a 4 and a 5). I was in Karatha at a very solidly build
> > backpackers. Was told to go buy enough food to last 3 days in case
> > stranded at backpackers (roads closed etc).
>
> > The radio warnings were stern, telling people to buy essentials,
> > batteries, food etc.

People ignored evacuation orders for Hurricane Sandy. They were
sorry!!!

>
> > So I went to the grocery store before it closed. Not that many people.
> > But everyone's idea of "essentials" were chips, beer, cookies and other
> > party essentials :-)
>
> > People in the region are always prepared during cyclone season, so when
> > one comes along, they don't really need to stock on on the real essentials.
>
> > Despite being build very solidly (concrete, bricks), the backpacker
> > building at times felt like a ship in rough seas with bands of water
> > (not rain at that stage anymore) hitting the building at high speed
> > (winds up to 250kmh)
>
> That was a 250 mph wind gust on Barrow Island, not Karatha.
>
>
>
> > We witnessed it from a protected inner court from covered balconies. I
> > tried to venture out to the street side, but didn't even get to open the
> > door much. Second floor on one side of building was flooded. Rain/water
> > was coming through the emergency exit door a bit like that scene in
> > "Titanic" where you see water coming out all around the door just before
> > it breaks and floods the corridor. (except there, it didn't break).
>
> > Amazing show of nature's force. Something I will never forget.
>
> Indeed.
>
>
>
> > Nevertheless, it was a party atmosphere. What else do you do all night ?
> > Power eventually failed rather spectacularly with transformer blowing up
> > here and there in town giving off the signature purple fireworks.
>
> Power failure party? I'll pass.

There was a famous hurricane party in an apartment building for -- I
think it was -- Hurricane Camille. Only one survived after the
building was destroyed.

> > There was very little damage in town. Roads re-opened at noon the next
> > day. Found out the road house I had stayed at the night before getting
> > to Karatha had been destroyed. I had been warned by many to always ask
> > the status of Olivia before setting out on my bike in the morning. At
> > that roadhouse, they didn't bother getting the updated fax and told me
> > "not to worry, it probably won't hit here".

>From what I see in the photo in Wikipedia there wasn't much to be
destroyed! No trees to knock down power lines, e.g. Again, the devil
is in the details, which we don't have here.

>
> Pretty amazing there was so little damage. Certainly not typical of
> cat-4 storms!
>
>
>
> > The morale is that for those who are prepared, such storms are awsome.
> > For those who are not prepared, such storms are a disaster waiting to
> > happen.
>
> You're being too cavalier here. There's a world of difference between
> hitting a tiny town and a metropolitan area. There's only so much you
> can do.
>
> > Important note: Ever since cyclone Tracy on december 25 1974 which
> > destroyed nearly all building in Darwin , Australia has had very strick
> > buiding standards for the northern sections that are prone to be hit by
> > cyclones.

Same for Florida after Hurricane Andrew. Several years later,
Hurricane Wilma packed quite a punch! There were power outages, at
least. Probably more.

>
> > Newsreel on aftermath of Tracy.http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=B89wBGydSvs
>
> > In the case of Sandy, it is hitting well outside of hurricane prone
> > areas. This isn't just home building standards, but also natural tree
> > pupolation of the region which is not suited for such winds and weight
> > of rain (and land arrangement that may cause land slides once
> > waterlogged etc).
>
> In this case it's more about massive flooding and storm surge, not
> wind per se.
>
> AEF

OK, the wind did a lot of damage too!!! Mostly by knocking down
trees.

Well, just got my power back today that was knocked out by Hurricane
Sandy. I never witnessed such strong winds in my life! I don't see how
you can prepare for a storm like this, unless you make everything out
of thick walls of concrete and install huge valves on tunnels, or just
don't live in the area.

If you're not up on it: Jersey shore destroyed. Boardwalks and
amusement parks (the rides) literally gone. All mass transit systems
shut down ahead of time: NJ Transit, PATH, LIRR, Metro North, the
subway, buses -- you name it! Several subway tubes flooded. the entire
Battery-Brooklyn tunnel filled with water! The building I work in
flooded six stories underground and 3 or 4 feet of water in the lobby!
Airports shut down. Bent crane dangling in the air on 57th street in
NYC 75 stories up. Gov. of NJ, Christie (Republican), gushing praise
for Obama (Democrat). Millions without power, including 90% of Long
Island. 80% of NJ (I think). All of Manhattan south of 39th street
without power (some of it intentional to avoid damage to substations
and the like) -- a large fire consuming more than 100 homes -- floods,
rail cars on the Turnpike (I could swear I heard that on my battery-
powered radio), homes on Rt. 35, boats in not-boat places, several
dozen people killed, Atlantic City underwater, traffic lights out,
hard to find gas for your car! -- business closed, including
restaurants! Is that enough? Trees falling on cars and homes --
sometimes with people inside! I probably missed some stuff. Oh, the
Garden State Parkway closed from exit 129 all the way to Cape May (129
miles' worth!) Battery Park underwater! Buildings in Lower Manhattan
(very lower -- the Financial district) flooded. NYSE shut down for 2
consecutive days!

OK, my hands are tired.

AEF