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Hurricane spares higher quality construction of affluent islanders
St. Petersburg Times ^ | August 16, 2004 | JENNIFER LIBERTO and TERRY TOMALIN

Posted on 08/16/2004 4:26:54 PM PDT by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at sptimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: bigotedhurricane; buildingcodes; elitisthurricane; hatefulhurricane; homophobehurricane; hurricanecharley; hurricanes; meanspiritedhurrican; outlawhurricanes; poorhatinghurricane; racisthurricane; sexisthurricane; womenchildrenhardhit; yougetwhatyoupayfor
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To: Normal4me
Recent news story suggest Sanibel got a pass, the only real destruction was on N. Captiva right near the center of Charley. Lots of good const. on Sanibel.
41 posted on 08/16/2004 5:54:03 PM PDT by rodguy911 ( President Reagan---all the rest.)
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To: BunnySlippers
Mobile homes have all but been eliminated in California ..

You're nuts.

42 posted on 08/16/2004 5:54:30 PM PDT by HairOfTheDog
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To: BunnySlippers
"Why not ban mobile homes from Florida .. period?"

What do you propose we do with every home that was built before 1990 or is not up to "Code"? Why not just ban Cat 4 hurricanes? LOL

43 posted on 08/16/2004 5:55:23 PM PDT by Normal4me
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To: harrycarey

Yes I remember reading similar stories.


44 posted on 08/16/2004 5:56:43 PM PDT by Lorianne
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To: rodguy911; dalereed
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.

Well, there you go. Sounds like it is political.

I got in an argument with an aquaintance many years ago about the structural qualities of motorhomes. About 10 years later I helped him move stuff from his home when a huge hole appeared in his floor ... it was about 2 feet across. This doesn't happen in a normal home.

45 posted on 08/16/2004 5:58:27 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (Must get moose and squirrel ... B. Badanov)
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To: rodguy911; dalereed
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.

Well, there you go. Sounds like it is political.

I got in an argument with an aquaintance many years ago about the structural qualities of motorhomes. About 10 years later I helped him move stuff from his home when a huge hole appeared in his floor ... it was about 2 feet across. This doesn't happen in a normal home.

46 posted on 08/16/2004 5:59:06 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (Must get moose and squirrel ... B. Badanov)
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To: BunnySlippers
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.

Forget it! There is no reason to ban Mobile homes for earthquakes... Mobiles don't collapse in earthquakes, they aren't heavy and they can bend. Old brick and masonry structures, and adobe and other kinds of construction are what leads to massive casualties in earthquakes. not to mention falling glass from large buildings.

The mobiles in Florida may not withstand hurricanes, but they are worth about $4,000 and most were unnoccupied.

47 posted on 08/16/2004 6:00:38 PM PDT by HairOfTheDog
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To: jolie560

Anybody that lives in a mobile home in a Huricane zone should know that probabilty that their home is going to be a goner if a storm strike. In fact, one weaker than Charley could get the job done.

It would be wise for those who can afford it to buy something a little more solid.


48 posted on 08/16/2004 6:01:51 PM PDT by The South Texan (The Democrat Party and the leftist (ABCCBSNBCCNN NYLATIMES)media are a criminal enterprise!)
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To: Normal4me
What do you propose we do with every home that was built before 1990 or is not up to "Code"? Why not just ban Cat 4 hurricanes? LOL

Well, LOL to you too. Building in California have to be brought up to code. I'm facing this with my 1986 built home in my current remodel. It must be brought up to code.

LOL.

49 posted on 08/16/2004 6:04:59 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (Must get moose and squirrel ... B. Badanov)
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To: HairOfTheDog
Forget it! There is no reason to ban Mobile homes for earthquakes...
50 posted on 08/16/2004 6:07:26 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (Must get moose and squirrel ... B. Badanov)
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To: Nightrider
never been able to figure it out....first thing when a tornado forms, it makes a beeline to the nearest trailer park.....

All that hot aluminum creates a localized thermal, i.e., a relative low pressure area with it's own inflow of air. Kind of gives the tornado system the 'come hither'. (totally wild guess)

Any sailplane pilots out there who find thermals over trailer parks?

51 posted on 08/16/2004 6:07:45 PM PDT by tbpiper (Michael Moore…..the Erich von Däniken of political documentary)
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To: Normal4me

Yes you could build a safe home for the same price or less. It might not be as big or have as many ammenities, but it would be safe.

Also $24,000 may be for the unit itself, it does not include the cost of tranportation, permits and fees, and supports or ties downs on the site. Also, you are renting the land most probably.

So for comparable costs, you could build a small safe home on a small lot for the same money.

You may not have community ammenities like a pool or clubhouse ... but this is what I mean. All these things are TRADE - OFFS for safety. People are simply gambling that their number won't come up .... or that someone will come along to bail them out financially if it does, assuming they survive.

It's borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, our national mentality.


52 posted on 08/16/2004 6:07:46 PM PDT by Lorianne
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To: HairOfTheDog
Forget it! There is no reason to ban Mobile homes for earthquakes...
53 posted on 08/16/2004 6:08:15 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (Must get moose and squirrel ... B. Badanov)
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To: BunnySlippers

Can I help you?


54 posted on 08/16/2004 6:09:12 PM PDT by HairOfTheDog
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To: HairOfTheDog
Forget it! There is no reason to ban Mobile homes for earthquakes...

Agreed, look at my post #34 where I posited that mobilhomes have been banned in southern California (or LAQ more specifically) as they drag property values down.

There we go. :)

55 posted on 08/16/2004 6:09:27 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (Must get moose and squirrel ... B. Badanov)
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To: BunnySlippers

I think you're nuts... I haven't been to Southern Cal in several years, but I am gonna bet there are mobiles there.


56 posted on 08/16/2004 6:10:30 PM PDT by HairOfTheDog
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To: HairOfTheDog
What I find amusing is that I sit here watching massive fires in the west saying "that idiot built his home in the mountains!" and then I see the midwest getting destroyed by tornadoes and wonder why anyone would live in "Tornado Alley". Bam, Iran lost 50,000+ people because they lived in mud huts. Florida is no different. We can't have basements because we are at sea level so we are kinda screwed there. The fact that only 17 people (confirmed so far) lost their lives because they didn't evacuate is pretty telling.

I guess everyone could live in a massive concrete box of some kind and we would never have any weather related deaths.

57 posted on 08/16/2004 6:13:51 PM PDT by Normal4me
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To: glorgau

I had a conservative Contracts professor in law school who used to drive the bleading hearts crazy by always siding against the "downtrodden" in any particular case while saying, "Hey, there are costs to being poor." So, make yourself some money.


58 posted on 08/16/2004 6:15:32 PM PDT by Hillary's Folly (Imagine there's no Hillary. It's easy if you try.)
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To: HairOfTheDog
I have lived here for almost 60 years. My family are avocado farmers. My mom left the rural areas (Ventura, not rural now) and I now live in LA since I was 6 months old). But, as I say, I have lived here almost 60 years ...

There are no mobile homes in metropolitan urban areas ... surely there are in more rural areas of which there are many. But mobile homes get pushed out as sure as I sit here. As I say, they drag down property values.

And it appears, they put lives in Florida in danger.

59 posted on 08/16/2004 6:15:36 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (Must get moose and squirrel ... B. Badanov)
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To: jolie560
The story By-line is from 'JENNIFER LIBERTO' ???

thankyouverymuch

60 posted on 08/16/2004 6:15:48 PM PDT by steveo (Member: Fathers Against Rude Television)
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