Re: Nasty way to lose your furniture
- From: Kris Krieger <me@xxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:29:55 -0500
mpm <mpmillard@xxxxxxx> wrote in news:b4161056-6dd8-446d-a43a-140014c860f8
@w7g2000hsa.googlegroups.com:
On Sep 14, 9:05�pm, Jim Thompson <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-I...@My-
Web-Site.com> wrote:
Just over a year ago I was on the 34th floor of the JP Morgan Chase
Tower in Houston, as expert witness on a patent matter.
Have you seen news shots of that building after Hurricane Ike?
Nasty way to lose very expensive furniture ;-)
I have some photos of Hurricanes Hugo & Andrew that make the Chase
Tower look like the Taj Mahal. :) Even some Wilma photos from Ft.
Lauderdale.
I wonder why someone doesn't engineer a temporary solution to retrofit
(protect) these high-rise windows from blowing out.? I mean, even if
you foamed them in place, it would still be less expensive cleanup?
There are "structural films" that can be applied to glass (commercial or
residential) which strengthen the glas sand, in the event of breakage, old ti
together to significantly reduce shattering. IIRC there are also additional
restraint ssytems, which may include special gaskets/seals that are flexible
(to accomidate shrinkage/expansion) and keep wind from working its way in-
between the glass panes.
You might ask in one of the Architecture groups; archtects and architectural
designers, esp. those who work in hurricane-prone areas, would be able to
answer your question re: various products/systems.
As to why they aren't used? Well, people play the odds. If a major storm
hits once every 20-25 years, people figure that they save more by using
standard systems, then they'll lose in a major storm. OTOH, if major storms
are becoming more frequent, that will change.
Oh, one more horror story: The Bank of America tower in downtown
Miami (at the time called Centrust Bank)... they had a major pipe
break on the top floor that fed their fire suppression system
(tanks). Whatever security did made the problem a lot worse. It
ended up literally drowning every floor of the building. Very, very
expensive and time-consuming cleanup.
Like, on the order of years.!
I would not want to be a Houston / Galvaston resident about now.
Be sure to make a donation to the Red Cross when you get to the office
tomorrow.
As stupid as some were for not heeding the evac orders, they still
need our help.
-mpm
Some waited too long, and some, I suppose, didn't believe the storm would be
as bad as it was. They're lucky it was not as bad as it could have been -
several factor combined to make it less severe than it very easily could have
been.
Tangential to your post, I just have to say that, long before FEMA started
"suggesting" that the Houston area power companies call upon out-of-state
workers, the Houston companies had already been on the ball, making
arrangements for extra personnel to come in. Meanwhile, for all of its
"suggesting", FEMA did *nothing* to help make sure that our First Responders
had water and food. OTOH, one local Representative actually *acted* by not
waiting around for FEMA and the State gov.t to get their act together, and
instead calling upon people who were in a stable situation to donate food and
water. We had surplusses (I always keep things well-stocked anyway, but had
socked away even more as it became certain that Ike would hit Houston), so we
brought them lots of non-perishable pop-top and packet foods, drinks, water,
toilet paper, and so on - and best of all, *MANY* of our fellow Houston-area
residents also generously heeded the call, responded to the need. It was
great to see all the people patiently lining up to drop off box after box of
supplies for our First Responders. FEMA didn't even *start* bringing trucks
of supplies in until last night - meanwhile, our local HEB and Kroger
groceries somehow managed to bring in truckload after truckload of
deliveries, trying to keep gettign supplies into stores with generators.
I know that there are some Scroodges in unaffected areas who will sit in
comfort and kvetch that "people shouldn't live in coastal areas", yet
hypocritically enjoy the benefits of Houston's port, the Houston area
refineries, and the Gulf drilling platforms - and all the people livng here
who man the ports, refiners, and platforms, and all of the service people who
sell them groceries, the physicians who take care of them and their families
- and on and on and on. THe focus usually goes to emgamillion vacation
homes, but the backbone of this city, like that of the nation, is its
everyday workers and their families. It doesn't make the news much, but I've
been seeing a lot of volunteerism, and neighbor helping neighbor, and
donations. FEMA or no FEMA, our local Coast Guard, First Responders, and
Mayor Bill White have also been going IMO a great job.
For every person who seems to be a doofus, and for every "mere vacationer who
just lost a boat", there are a great many people who are everyday people,
people who have been working the port and its docks, the refineries and
drilling rigs, that benefit a great amny Americans living far from here. And
any and all donations will, as you noted, be a great help :)
.
- References:
- Nasty way to lose your furniture
- From: Jim Thompson
- Re: Nasty way to lose your furniture
- From: mpm
- Nasty way to lose your furniture
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