Verticle Evacuation???

[TSmith274]

I've decided to stay here in N.O. because of the absolute gridlock on all highways right now. So, I made reservations at a downtown New Orleans hotel. It's about 35 stories tall. I think I have one of the upper rooms. All downtown hotel rooms are sold out now. But I have a question. Do yall think it is safe to be in a highrise hotel in this hurricane? I'm worried about the windows blowing out and me getting blown out with them and falling 25 stories. Think I'll be safe?

[Josephine96]

I could be wrong.. But the higher you are.. the stronger the winds are.. I'd suggest trying to get a floor closer to the ground if at all possible..

[mf_dolphin]

As you go up in elevation the winds get stronger. This is one time I would opt for a room without a view....

[Guest]

i would go into the hallway... or a room with no windows. if ivan hits nola he would blow out all your windows bc winds increase with elevation. could he destroy a skyscraper?

[MBryant]

Flying glass is a more likely concern than getting sucked out the window.
I would keep the drapes closed and take the pillows with you into the bathroom if the storm looks like it's staring you in the face. Remember, the winds are higher with elevation so the higher you are, the higher the winds and the less flooding potential. I would think the third through fifth floors would be best if you have a choice.

[lilyv]

Think you'll more likely find that the hotel will move all the guests to a windowless ballroom, or hallways on a lower floor.

[dixiebreeze]

I think I'd opt for a low, steel-enforced concrete building with no windows -- if possible.

[CaptinCrunch]

Take a fishing pole with you, if Ivan does hit NOLA the only way anybody will be getting around will be by boat. So the fishing should be pretty good from the upper floors.

[wlfpack81]

Yea as you go higher up the winds increase so no windows.

Also I had another thought just come up. In theory if a Cat 4 or 5 where to directly hit NO wouldn't the storm surge (which would be 20-30ft) make vertical evacs unsafe? My theory here is that a 25-30ft wall of water rushing through the streets (add waves on top of that) would possible collapse some of the low high rise buildings in the area b/c as we know that much water rushing in has a lot of force behind it. Tall tall buildings would be okay but I'm talking maybe the 10-15 story or so buildings. They may not collapse at first but constant pounding the by waves on top of the then flooding streets would cause problems IMO.

I'm not a civil engineer but just had this though pop up in my head and would see what others would think could happen.

[Scorpion]

Wow I wouldnt really feel safe in an unshuttered high rise. I would stay in the bathroom or something once the storm hits or the hallway. In a direct hit the windows would probably break in and significant damage can be caused to the structure. If it stalls then it would be another problem, as you would be getting pounded by 130 + winds for several hours. Thats all just my opinion however, im not expert.

[Terry]

Something people don’t always think about is the fact that emergency workers are pulled off the streets when the winds are relatively low. If a fire breaks out in the hotel, for example, there may be no firetruck able to leave the firestation!

[FritzPaul]

Something people don’t always think about is the fact that emergency workers are pulled off the streets when the winds are relatively low. If a fire breaks out in the hotel, for example, there may be no firetruck able to leave the firestation!

That can be especially important if some ding-dong gets careless with the candles when the power goes out.

[TSmith274]

All of the things yall have mentioned are things that I've been thinking about. If tonight this hurricane looks like a direct hit, I'll just leave and cancel those reservations. However, the latest info tells me that it may go east of here... perhaps to the MS/AL state line. In that case, I'll be ok. Thanks for your input. Made my thought process a little more clear.

P.S... One of the main reasons I opted for this is because that hotel has backup generators, so hopefully no fire from candles, etc.

[lilyv]

Just a thought-maybe it would be a good idea to call the hotel and ask what their policy is. Do guests stay in rooms, or are they moved to a place of safety. At least you'd have a better sense of what the plan might be.