Hurricane spares higher quality construction of affluent islanders

St. Petersburg Times ^ | August 16, 2004 | JENNIFER LIBERTO and TERRY TOMALIN

[jolie560]

CAPTIVA - The ritzy barrier islands that Hurricane Charley pummeled first before raging across the state appear to have survived far better than their neighbors farther inland.

Although damage assessments had yet to be completed for the islands Sunday night, Lee County officials said they were confident that damage could be repaired and the islands could recover their identity as an idyllic vacation getaway.

"Nearly all (buildings) had some damage, but it was varying degrees, because these are big homes and well-put-together homes," said Pat O'Rourke, spokeswoman for the Lee County Emergency Operations Center. "It's a matter of the integrity of the structures."

While many resort homes on Captiva and North Captiva Island saw some damage, most lost rooftops, not walls. A St. Petersburg Times reporter and photographer who toured the area in a boat noted some damage to homes on the tip of North Captiva Island but not to the extent of those damaged in Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte.

[rodguy911]

At least part of the problem is that when Charley hit N.Captiva(I spent a week there three weeks ago it was a # 4 storm. It then proceeded NE and went over a shallow bay with 86 Degree water and became a cat#5 storm. Then the next thing it hit, Punta Gorda was devastated. Winds of 170 mph were recorded. It took ten years to reclassify Andrew as a cat #5 storm, may take as long for Charley.NOAA doesn't like to call anything a # 5 due to insurance considerations.

[devane617]

"Mobile or manufactured homes could take this kind of wind with only cosmetic damage if they used adequate fasteners. The cost shouldn't be significantly more. "

I have to disagree with your comment. I have been to the area, and the majority of the mobile homes were adequately tied down, and the floors remain in place. However, the entire upper structure were blown to bits.

[devane617]

One of the hospitals in Punta Gorda/ Port Charlotte report that it's wind speed indicator registered a speed of 177mph before the device and roof were blown away.

[RightWhale]

Fasteners are those things used to tie pieces of wood together. Nails are one example.

[rodguy911]

Mobile homes are attractive to those on a strict budget who want to live in Fla. but they have never ever been safe during hurricanes.

[Jakarta ex-pat]

KILL THE AFFLUENT!!

[Libertarian444]

There is no reasonable way to build a 'manufactured home' that will stand up to Cat 3/4 winds. This strikes me as nothing more than class warfare liberal phlegm.

Hey, it's the St. Petersburg Times. Liberal phlegm is the only thing they're good at.

[devane617]

The local new did a story on this exact subject tonight. They concluded along with industry experts that the newer home sustained as much damage as the older homes. An engineer from Palm Harbor Homes, one of the largest manufactures of mobile homes, said they had stopped building "mobile homes" as we know them and are now building modular homes instead. He stated that no mobile home built under the previous 130mph standards would ever stand up to winds like Charley produced.

[rodguy911]

We went round and round with NOAA during Andrew they refused to admit all the hundreds of bodies taken out of farming areas where migrants were killed by the hundred, there is and was some govt. cover up. In a place called Perrine just west of Cutler Ridge in Dade County all the criminals disappeared after Andrew. We were glad but no one ever took credit.

[aruanan]

Hurricane spares higher quality construction of affluent islanders

Miswritten. Should be: Higher quality construction withstands hurricane better than lower quality construction

And since when is this new? We know that higher quality construction withstands earthquakes than lower quality construction. Look at the difference between earthquakes of the same magnitude occurring here and in Iran, Iraq, Turkey, or Taiwan.

[BunnySlippers]

I'm still wondering why mobile homes have not been banned in the path of hurricanes. Anyone know?

[BnBlFlag]

Do you mean to tell me that better built structures hold up better than poorly built ones in a major storm? This is shocking! I'm absolutely flabergasted!

[rodguy911]

Politics with a capital P

[BunnySlippers]

Forgive me but I don't understand. Mobile homes have all but been eliminated in California .. I think because they are a drag on property values. But in CA we have very stringent building codes to offset the threat of earthquakes. So I cannot understand Florida's not banning mobile homes. Who benefits when mobile homes collapse and people die?

[dalereed]

"I'm still wondering why mobile homes have not been banned in the path of hurricanes. Anyone know?"

The huricane would no doubt make a point of relocating to find them!

[BunnySlippers]

Why not ban mobile homes from Florida .. period?

[Normal4me]

Because the majority of mobile home owners in Florida are retirees living on fixed incomes. Florida (I believe) is the leading state in the number of mobile homes. There is no way to predict the paths of Hurricanes. The area that was hit had gone 40+ years without a major hurricane.

On a side note, Has anyone seen any video footage of the multi-million dollar homes that were damaged or destroyed on Sanibel Island or Captiva? Just curious as to how they faired.

[dalereed]

"Mobile homes have all but been eliminated in California"

There are sure a lot of them in San Diego County.

[rodguy911]

Many retired people live in mobile homes in FLa. they have a huge lobby with the rat/libs, if they want trailers, they get trailers.

[BunnySlippers]

Because the majority of mobile home owners in Florida are retirees living on fixed incomes. Florida (I believe) is the leading state in the number of mobile homes.

But that's true of mobile homes here in California. They are inhabited by retirees. That doesn't mean that they should not be banned. Which lends credance to the person who said it "was political".

The purpose of stringent building codes is to save lives, not to pander to a group, no matter how well deserving.

I can only point to foreign countries who suffer massive deaths in earthquakes because they will not pass building codes to withstand distruction.