gives you chills

[Stratosphere747]

Obviously structural engineering degrees must be easy to come by these days...

[Extremeweatherguy]

yeah, I guess the statements put out by government officials are just complete lies.

Also, I remember a thread awhile back when somebody trained in this subject said that it would take something like 12 hours of 160-200mph winds. If a slow moving Cat. 5 were moving ashore and sat over an area with 160mph+ gusts for a long duration; it would be very possible.

[Jim Cantore]

Skyscraper collapse can simply be caused by undermining the foundation

[Normandy]

yeah, I guess the statements put out by government officials are just complete lies.

Also, I remember a thread awhile back when somebody trained in this subject said that it would take something like 12 hours of 160-200mph winds. If a slow moving Cat. 5 were moving ashore and sat over an area with 160mph+ gusts for a long duration; it would be very possible.

Fair enough.
Give me a plausible scenario where a cat5 can sit over a major metropilitan area for 12 hours without:

1) weakening

2) winds decreasing due to land friction

I dont see any reason a skyscraper will fall in a hurricane.

[stormcrow]

One good reason, design flaw. Remember the emergency repairs to that building in new york a few years ago, a study determined that from a certain direction it couldn't withstand hurricane force winds.

[KWT]

Heres another one, not exactly chilling but possibly a sign to come voer the next 50 years if the seas keep warming like they are:

THE HISTORICAL RECORD SHOWS NO TROPICAL CYCLONE EVER MAKING LANDFALL ON THE IBERIAN PENINSULA. BASED ON SURFACE REPORTS FROM FARO PORTUGAL...THE CENTER PASSED JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THE COAST OF
PORTUGAL...BEFORE BECOMING THE FIRST TROPICAL CYCLONE TO MAKE
LANDFALL IN SPAIN.

[Regit]

Here we go again with the argument of skyscraper collapse.

People seriously underestimate the strength of skyscrapers.

"I don't really think we need to worry about them collapsing."
-unidentified ABC reporter, September 11, 2001

But it's been generally accepted for a long time that a Cat 5 COULD bring down SOME high rise buildings. Plus, what happens if no warning is given and a 40 story building collapses? Additionally, some could have design flaws that were unknown prior to the storm.

[Regit]

yeah, I guess the statements put out by government officials are just complete lies.

Also, I remember a thread awhile back when somebody trained in this subject said that it would take something like 12 hours of 160-200mph winds. If a slow moving Cat. 5 were moving ashore and sat over an area with 160mph+ gusts for a long duration; it would be very possible.

Fair enough.
Give me a plausible scenario where a cat5 can sit over a major metropilitan area for 12 hours without:

1) weakening

2) winds decreasing due to land friction

I dont see any reason a skyscraper will fall in a hurricane.

A Category 4 running into a blocking force just off New York City slowly weakening. Skyscrapers would experience Category 5 for a long time. Doesn't need to be 12 hours.

[GulfBreezer]

Doc Joe... I remember those chills too. Im also in Santa Rosa county (Pace) I was watching all through the night from a hotel room in Troy Alabama. Was afraid I would have nothing to come home to. Luckily everything made it through ok, other than the huge oak tree in the back yard. Hopefully everyone will have a safe season this year...holding up sign *GULF IS CLOSED FOR BUSINESS*

Sunny.....it does seem like just yesterday we were all in the chat room for Dennis AND Ivan (the year before)........Doc, I am in Gulf Breeze and lost everything I owned to Ivan but was extremely grateful that Dennis has his forward speed, b/c if he had come through as slowly as Ivan, it would have been so much worse. We are still rebuilding here from the 2004 season and as Sunny said.......THE GOM IS CLOSED FOR ANY TROPICAL ACTIVITY!!

[Cyclenall]

I have a question, is there still damage from Hurricane Andrew?

[docjoe]

Sunny.....it does seem like just yesterday we were all in the chat room for Dennis AND Ivan (the year before)........Doc, I am in Gulf Breeze and lost everything I owned to Ivan but was extremely grateful that Dennis has his forward speed, b/c if he had come through as slowly as Ivan, it would have been so much worse. We are still rebuilding here from the 2004 season and as Sunny said.......THE GOM IS CLOSED FOR ANY TROPICAL ACTIVITY!![/quote]

Very sorry for your losses from Ivan. Hard to believe it was almost 2 years ago. Fortunately in Milton we did not have significant flooding issues for the most part...Blackwater River and Ward Basin being exceptions. As far as Dennis I agree. If Dennis had lasted just 3 or 4 hours a large part of Santa Rosa county would have been levelled...at least more than already was. As bad as Ivan was here I personally do not believe Ivan's winds approached the velocity of that from Dennis for the short time we were in the eyewall.

docjoe

[HurricaneHunter914]

I have a question, is there still damage from Hurricane Andrew?

Probably. In my opinion any Major Hurricane that makes landfall in a certain area will scar that area for life.

[Normandy]

Here we go again with the argument of skyscraper collapse.

People seriously underestimate the strength of skyscrapers.

"I don't really think we need to worry about them collapsing."
-unidentified ABC reporter, September 11, 2001

But it's been generally accepted for a long time that a Cat 5 COULD bring down SOME high rise buildings. Plus, what happens if no warning is given and a 40 story building collapses? Additionally, some could have design flaws that were unknown prior to the storm.

LOL.
Thats a great example to use.

Cant compare 9/11 with a hurricane.

[StrongWind]

yeah, I guess the statements put out by government officials are just complete lies.

Also, I remember a thread awhile back when somebody trained in this subject said that it would take something like 12 hours of 160-200mph winds. If a slow moving Cat. 5 were moving ashore and sat over an area with 160mph+ gusts for a long duration; it would be very possible.

Fair enough.
Give me a plausible scenario where a cat5 can sit over a major metropilitan area for 12 hours without:

1) weakening

2) winds decreasing due to land friction

I dont see any reason a skyscraper will fall in a hurricane.

Andrew blew out chunks of (reinforced)concrete from large buildings. And at least one large hotel lost a wall. If Andrew hadn't been such a fast moving storm, things could have been even worse.

While skyscrapers may not collapse completely - I bet some would be reduced to nothing more than a shell of structual compenets so badly warped they would have to be demolished anyway.

SW

[weathermom]

Until they have been tested, no one knows the true strength (or lack thereof) of any skyscraper. I think in order to avoid any more skyscrapers collapsing while full of people, caution is the best route.

[Jim Cantore]

KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL AT EITHER CATEGORY FOUR OR FIVE INTENSITY.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 18 TO 22 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...LOCALLY AS HIGH AS 28 FEET ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL

going back a bit further

...CHARLEY STRENGTHENS TO CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE AND HEADS FOR SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COAST...

...SEVERE HURRICANE FLOYD POUNDING THE BAHAMAS...EYE EXPECTED TO PASS NEAR OR OVER THE ABACOS IN A FEW HOURS...HEADING TOWARD EAST COAST OF FLORIDA...

EYE OF CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE MITCH MOVING OVER SWAN ISLAND...

...LARGE AND DANGEROUS HURRICANE IVAN MOVING NORTHWARD TOWARD THE GULF COAST...

PINAR DEL RIO REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 124 MPH WITH
GUSTS TO 162 MPH.

[Scorpion]

Remember that skyscrapers experience winds much higher than the 10 meter wind in the advisories. So if its a mid Cat 4 the middle and tops of a skyscraper would be experiencing sustained winds of 190 mph. If its a landfalling Cat 5 then the sustained winds would be perhaps upwards of 220 mph.

[gtalum]

Then can you explain why it was stated in the Urgent weather message?

Because meteorologists are not civil engineers.

As mentioned just above me, skyscrapers are extremely strong. The outer curtain walls can certainly be completely blown off the buildings, but the steel core structures will stand up to anything a storm can throw at them.

[Cyclenall]

Then can you explain why it was stated in the Urgent weather message?

Because meteorologists are not civil engineers.

As mentioned just above me, skyscrapers are extremely strong. The outer curtain walls can certainly be completely blown off the buildings, but the steel core structures will stand up to anything a storm can throw at them.

Meteorologists don't have to be civil engineers to determine if the buildings can withstand a certain hurricane. They would make sure they aren't posting false information before writing it out.

[beachbum_al]

...LARGE AND DANGEROUS HURRICANE IVAN MOVING NORTHWARD TOWARD THE GULF COAST...

PINAR DEL RIO REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 124 MPH WITH
GUSTS TO 162 MPH.

I remember Ivan all too well and would love to forget him. One of the scariest nights in my life!