Ivan Damage

[Jim Cantore]

Has anyone seen the pictures from Orange beach of the collapsed hi rise hotel/condo/whatever

What caused that? I dont think 120mph could bring down a concrete building that big, granted the winds were likely 135 at the top of the building.

[Ixolib]

It was built on a flat slab with little or no pilings below grade. Surge washed out the foundation and that is the result.

[Jim Cantore]

It was built on a flat slab with little or no pilings below grade. Surge washed out the foundation and that is the result.

Thats how I always thought a skyscraper would get taken out it a Hurricane hit NYC

[beachbum_al]

Yes, and I have several pictures of it on disk somewhere. I think it was faulty building. I could be wrong but so many of the condos down there survived. Yes, many of them had serious damage but not like that one. Actually there were several that collasped. One look like half of it had been blown up. Reminded of buildings that you see on t.v. after a bomb has gone off. Another one had the floors fall onto each other and collapsed. I don't think it had all to do with the wind. It was a combination of things~wind, storm surge, weak structure, bad planning.

This is what a lot of the condos looked like around Orange Beach after Ivan.
http://www.gulf-shores-alabama-condo-rentals.com/enclave-condo-hurricane-photos.html

Another site that shows some pictures of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores.
http://www.gulf-shores-alabama.net/hurricane-ivan.html

[gtalum]

Thats how I always thought a skyscraper would get taken out it a Hurricane hit NYC

Skyscrapers in NYC are generally poured down to bedrock. They may lose windows but they'll be standing after a major hurricane hit.

[wxman57]

I have a better shot of after the collapse taken by Neil Frank:



Here's the before and after from a distance:

[Aquawind]

Wow............

Paul

[baygirl_1]

My sister has some friends who owned a condo in that complex at the time Ivan destroyed it. It's my understanding that it was one of the older condo complexes in the area. They live out of state and had heard the building had collapsed. But they didn't see it until the President was photgraphed in front of it days later. Those friends have since purchased a bigger condo on Perdido Pass. Not such a good move, in my opinion, but they love the beach.

[Extremeweatherguy]

looks like earthquake damage! Would have been scary to be in the building when it happened.

[Hybridstorm_November2001]

I still say 120 mph sustained. After all the building (at least going by the above pics) wasn't totally leveled, and of course storm surge must have played a large roll given how close it is to the sea and the level of the ground.

[wxman57]

I still say 120 mph sustained. After all the building (at least going by the above pics) wasn't totally leveled, and of course storm surge must have played a large roll given how close it is to the sea and the level of the ground.

The storm surge/high tides were 100% responsible for that building collapse, not the wind. The tides removed about 8-10 feet of sand from the base of the building, weakening the foundation and leading to the collapse.

[Jim Cantore]

[Jim Cantore]

[Jim Cantore]

[Jim Cantore]

thats not supposed to happen