
Wood framed appartment, would it withstand???
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Wood framed appartment, would it withstand???
I live in sarasota in a wood framed appartment..ikes..soon to buy a concrete block home soon.... will a wood frame apartment withstand a strong tropical storm, let alone a hurricane??? 

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- Audrey2Katrina
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For whatever it's worth, if you're NOT in a flood zone, the answer is YES, I've lived in a wood-frame house through several hurricanes and it's still standing. Granted, they weren't 4 or 5 majors, but definitely hurricanes, so I'm certain they'd withstand a tropical storm unless it's really shabbily constructed.
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A2K
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Flossy 56 Audrey 57 Hilda 64* Betsy 65* Camille 69* Edith 71 Carmen 74 Bob 79 Danny 85 Elena 85 Juan 85 Florence 88 Andrew 92*, Opal 95, Danny 97, Georges 98*, Isidore 02, Lili 02, Ivan 04, Cindy 05*, Dennis 05, Katrina 05*, Gustav 08*, Isaac 12*, Nate 17, Barry 19, Cristobal 20, Marco, 20, Sally, 20, Zeta 20*, Claudette 21 IDA* 21 Francine *24
- terstorm1012
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- Audrey2Katrina
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CapeVerdeWave wrote:Did you go through sustained hurricane-force winds, Audrey2Katrina? Just curious. Hope I'm not insulting...
No insult taken, and yes, they were definitely sustained force hurricane winds. The house was built here before the turn of the century (Late 1800's according to the actual blue-prints I still possess), so it's been through many hits and brushes, but there's no doubt it received sustained hurricane winds--1915 probable, 1947--no doubt whatsoever, and same for Betsy in 1965 (can still feel the scary roar of those winds outside, the trees blowing over and yes, the house shook), and, of course, Katrina---Lots of TS from weak to strong in all that time as well, and it's still standing, as are all but one of the many other wood-frame shotguns on the same block.
A2K
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Flossy 56 Audrey 57 Hilda 64* Betsy 65* Camille 69* Edith 71 Carmen 74 Bob 79 Danny 85 Elena 85 Juan 85 Florence 88 Andrew 92*, Opal 95, Danny 97, Georges 98*, Isidore 02, Lili 02, Ivan 04, Cindy 05*, Dennis 05, Katrina 05*, Gustav 08*, Isaac 12*, Nate 17, Barry 19, Cristobal 20, Marco, 20, Sally, 20, Zeta 20*, Claudette 21 IDA* 21 Francine *24
- Audrey2Katrina
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terstorm1012 wrote:What kind of wood is it?
Florida pine is super strong---but even it has limits.
THAT, I don't know... lol, built a little before my time, but it is a sturdy li'l sucker! I do think had the flooding been worse on Dauphine St., it might have been totalled this time around; but the waters there "only" reached about four feet, and it wasn't that wall of water coming right over the levee that the less fortunates in the Ninth received.
A2K
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Flossy 56 Audrey 57 Hilda 64* Betsy 65* Camille 69* Edith 71 Carmen 74 Bob 79 Danny 85 Elena 85 Juan 85 Florence 88 Andrew 92*, Opal 95, Danny 97, Georges 98*, Isidore 02, Lili 02, Ivan 04, Cindy 05*, Dennis 05, Katrina 05*, Gustav 08*, Isaac 12*, Nate 17, Barry 19, Cristobal 20, Marco, 20, Sally, 20, Zeta 20*, Claudette 21 IDA* 21 Francine *24
- LSU_Weatherguy
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I would say you should have no problem, in my opion, but I have not seen your plans. With Katrina a saw in two cases where a concrete house was leveled to the ground and a wood frame house next door was in bad shape but still standing. What you house is made out of does make a difference but how your house is made (workmanship) make the big difference.
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- terstorm1012
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- Extremeweatherguy
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I would have to say that it would be a gamble to say it will or will not survive. There are too many variables that would need to be looked at. Overall though, I would say it has a high chance of surviving TRUE minimal hurricane force winds, an "ok" chance of surviving TRUE Cat. 3 force winds, and a low chance of surviving TRUE Cat. 4/5 force winds.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gifs/1992andrew2.gif
^^Here is an idea of the damage a TRUE Cat. 4 force wind would do to wooden framed homes. This is from Hurricane Andrew in 1992...but I am not calling this Cat. 5 force, because most of the Cat. 5 level winds were in a small portion of the storm and either right at the coast or in extremely small pockets right near the coast. This picture looks to be a few miles inland.^^
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gifs/1992andrew2.gif
^^Here is an idea of the damage a TRUE Cat. 4 force wind would do to wooden framed homes. This is from Hurricane Andrew in 1992...but I am not calling this Cat. 5 force, because most of the Cat. 5 level winds were in a small portion of the storm and either right at the coast or in extremely small pockets right near the coast. This picture looks to be a few miles inland.^^
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- LSU_Weatherguy
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Extremeweatherguy wrote:I would have to say that it would be a gamble to say it will or will not survive. There are too many variables that would need to be looked at. Overall though, I would say it has a high chance of surviving TRUE minimal hurricane force winds, an "ok" chance of surviving TRUE Cat. 3 force winds, and a low chance of surviving TRUE Cat. 4/5 force winds.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gifs/1992andrew2.gif
^^Here is an idea of the damage a TRUE Cat. 4 force wind would do to wooden framed homes. This is from Hurricane Andrew in 1992...but I am not calling this Cat. 5 force, because most of the Cat. 5 level winds were in a small portion of the storm and either right at the coast or in extremely small pockets right near the coast. This picture looks to be a few miles inland.^^
If you look at the picture you also notice that houses that are still in good relative good shape are standing next to houses that are piles of sticks and also to houses where it looks like just top floor is damaged. I am in civil engineering at LSU and like going out to the gulf coast and looking at the types of failures that houses have had and finding ways to prevent them
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- Audrey2Katrina
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LSU_Weatherguy wrote:Extremeweatherguy wrote:I would have to say that it would be a gamble to say it will or will not survive. There are too many variables that would need to be looked at. Overall though, I would say it has a high chance of surviving TRUE minimal hurricane force winds, an "ok" chance of surviving TRUE Cat. 3 force winds, and a low chance of surviving TRUE Cat. 4/5 force winds.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gifs/1992andrew2.gif
^^Here is an idea of the damage a TRUE Cat. 4 force wind would do to wooden framed homes. This is from Hurricane Andrew in 1992...but I am not calling this Cat. 5 force, because most of the Cat. 5 level winds were in a small portion of the storm and either right at the coast or in extremely small pockets right near the coast. This picture looks to be a few miles inland.^^If you look at the picture you also notice that houses that are still in good relative good shape are standing next to houses that are piles of sticks and also to houses where it looks like just top floor is damaged. I am in civil engineering at LSU and like going out to the gulf coast and looking at the types of failures that houses have had and finding ways to prevent them
Exactly my point, and I have no doubt that the house I'd lived in saw true cat 3 winds in its lifetime. MOST of those houses received some damage, but almost all of them are still there--doubtless having been repaired many times--but the quality of workmanship and structural integrity had to be pretty good. Aside from all that, the question was relevant to whether or not a woodframe house could withstand TS winds, and I'd have to say that unless it's very shoddily put together, it will almost certainly do just fine. Were a major heading that way that could still be a major there--I'd split the scene, if for no better reason than why tempt the odds?
A2K
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Our wood frame-brick veneer home has survived strong tropical force and minimal hurricane winds on muitiple occasions. (Opal, Ivan, Dennis...) As long as the building was constructed properly, and has a newer roof built or rebuilt in a way that's acceptable to current code, and that the landsacping around it is well-maintained, (ie no trees likely to come down on top of it) then that type of structure should handle 80-90mph winds acceptably.
Heck, most of my built in the 1980s (pre-Andrew code) neighborhood comes through those kinds of winds with the only wind damage being occasional minor to moderate roof leaks. The worst damage comes from landscaping issues- people still haven't pulled out all of the turpentine plantation era sandy pines that need to be taken down, and TS force winds will sometimes bring them down onto a structure.
Heck, most of my built in the 1980s (pre-Andrew code) neighborhood comes through those kinds of winds with the only wind damage being occasional minor to moderate roof leaks. The worst damage comes from landscaping issues- people still haven't pulled out all of the turpentine plantation era sandy pines that need to be taken down, and TS force winds will sometimes bring them down onto a structure.
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- terstorm1012
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That was what one relative , in the West Kendall area reported from Andrew. there was some sort of eddy that protected their condo building, while homes two to three blocks east were flattened. at the time there wasn't anything west of them except sawgrass.
that image looks like it might be Kendall or Naranja Lakes, neither of which are on the immediate coast.
that image looks like it might be Kendall or Naranja Lakes, neither of which are on the immediate coast.
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Extremeweatherguy wrote:I would have to say that it would be a gamble to say it will or will not survive. There are too many variables that would need to be looked at. Overall though, I would say it has a high chance of surviving TRUE minimal hurricane force winds, an "ok" chance of surviving TRUE Cat. 3 force winds, and a low chance of surviving TRUE Cat. 4/5 force winds.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gifs/1992andrew2.gif
^^Here is an idea of the damage a TRUE Cat. 4 force wind would do to wooden framed homes. This is from Hurricane Andrew in 1992...but I am not calling this Cat. 5 force, because most of the Cat. 5 level winds were in a small portion of the storm and either right at the coast or in extremely small pockets right near the coast. This picture looks to be a few miles inland.^^
I agree. A lot of variables to take into consideration. Tornados, high gusts to name a few. Also would think if you are on the second floor or even third floor now a days, you would have a higher chance of failure.
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Wood frame buildings - here is how I see damage at each level, based on conditions seen at the location:
Tropical storm: Little or no damage from wind. Comparable to F0 tornado if any damage.
Category 1: Minor wind damage. Shingles likely gone and perhaps some roof damage. No real structural damage. Comparable to low F1 tornado.
Category 2: Minor structural damage possible. Roof possibly peeled off. Shingles likely gone. Comparable to high F1 or low F2 tornado.
Category 3: Significant damage. Roof likely gone, some walls in the upper floors possibly broken. Comparable to F2 tornado.
Category 4: Major structural damage and partial failure possible. Exterior walls severely damaged and possible collapse of part of the house. Comparable to low F3 tornado.
Category 5: Structural failure of building, likely destroyed. Comparable to high F3 or F4 tornado.
Tropical storm: Little or no damage from wind. Comparable to F0 tornado if any damage.
Category 1: Minor wind damage. Shingles likely gone and perhaps some roof damage. No real structural damage. Comparable to low F1 tornado.
Category 2: Minor structural damage possible. Roof possibly peeled off. Shingles likely gone. Comparable to high F1 or low F2 tornado.
Category 3: Significant damage. Roof likely gone, some walls in the upper floors possibly broken. Comparable to F2 tornado.
Category 4: Major structural damage and partial failure possible. Exterior walls severely damaged and possible collapse of part of the house. Comparable to low F3 tornado.
Category 5: Structural failure of building, likely destroyed. Comparable to high F3 or F4 tornado.
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