Ok I must vent this morning. What foolish people state they did not have enough time to prepare and were caught off guard with Hurricane Claudette??!!
Hurricane Warnings were in affect from Baffin Bay to San Luis Pass and then N to High Island.
Did the people in Port O'Conner and Victoria not realize THEY were in the center of the Warning area!
They had warnings day before the storm made landfall. When a warning is issued it does not mean lets wait until storm makes landfall to prepare. When a warning is issue you must race to complete prepardness that hurricane conditions are expected not hurricane condition might occur. Many coastal residences seem to have forgotten what Hurricane Warnings indicate.
What?! Not Enough Time???!!!!!!
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What?! Not Enough Time???!!!!!!
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The following post is NOT an official forecast and should not be used as such. It is just the opinion of the poster and may or may not be backed by sound meteorological data. It is NOT endorsed by any professional institution including storm2k.org For Official Information please refer to the NHC and NWS products.
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GalvestonDuck
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The rainy, windy weather system left over from Hurricane Claudette hurried across South Texas into Mexico on Wednesday after spreading damage along the coast and killing two people.
Roofs were peeled away, trailers were flattened, building facades collapsed and gas station canopies were twisted along the path the storm followed from its landfall on the Gulf Coast, the first hurricane to hit Texas in four years.
Claudette arrived Tuesday as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained wind of 85 mph. By Wednesday morning, it had been downgraded to a tropical depression, with sustained wind speed down to 30 mph. Radar showed it roughly centered along the border in the Del Rio area.
American Red Cross workers were assessing the damage along the 261 miles of affected coastline, spokeswoman Suzanne Hogan said Wednesday.
"Today is going to reveal a much better picture of what disaster assistance will be needed," Hogan said in Port Lavaca.
Gov. Rick Perry signed a disaster relief proclamation to help speed state and federal response and authorized the National Guard to help with recovery. He also asked President Bush for a federal disaster declaration for 15 counties.
As the storm headed west Wednesday, authorities in the Mexican border states of Coahuila and Tamaulipas kept a wary eye on water levels in the Rio Grande.
The civil defense office in Nuevo Laredo, across the border from Laredo, Texas, urged families living near the river to go to shelters.
"We are going to keep an eye on how much rain falls (upriver) in Piedras Negras," Nuevo Laredo Mayor Jose Suarez Lopez said.
Despite warnings that tropical storm tracks are hard to pinpoint in advance, Claudette caught many Texans off-guard with its changing speed and direction. As late as Sunday, the National Hurricane Center had said landfall was along the Texas-Mexico border. Then, as it turned and headed toward the Port O'Connor and Matagorda Bay area about 210 miles up the coast, meteorologists said it was likely to hit land late Tuesday. Instead, the eye crossed the coast around midday Tuesday.
Residents and vacationers complained forecasters didn't allow enough time to prepare.
In Victoria, Bertha Ramirez said her 74-year-old aunt might not have known to batten down the hatches by midday had she not called her earlier in the morning to warn that the storm had unexpectedly accelerated and was headed toward the city 40 miles inland from Port O'Connor.
"She didn't think it was coming until this evening," said Ramirez, who listened to Claudette howl and wail outside the generator-powered Target store where she worked.
"It's called the unpredictability of tropical storms," said Gene Hafele, a Houston-based National Weather Service meteorologist.
The storm dumped several inches of rain, flooding some low-lying areas, and wind gusted to nearly 100 mph.
In Jourdanton, about 35 miles south of San Antonio, 13-year-old Clayton Dojahn was killed when a mesquite tree fell on him in his front yard, police said. A 33-year-old woman was killed in Victoria by a falling tree limb, authorities said.
Claudette also toppled radio and television towers in Victoria, knocking stations off the air.
Stacy Martin, a dispatcher with the Karnes C ounty sheriff's office, said Claudette continued damaging shingles and downing power lines as it pushed inland through the area south of San Antonio.
"We've had a small twister in Kenedy, but it just knocked down a couple of buildings. There's no injuries to report of so far," Martin said.
Claudette's wind and punishing tides likely caused severe beach erosion along the coast. The first row of beach houses in Galveston and Brazoria counties could face condemnation if the state's General Land Office decides they intrude on beaches newly narrowed by Claudette.
It was the first hurricane to strike Texas since 1999, when Bret slammed into a largely unpopulated stretch between Corpus Christi and Brownsville. The last major hurricane to hit Texas was Alicia, which decimated the Houston-Galveston area in 1983.
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I believe this sums it up.
Roofs were peeled away, trailers were flattened, building facades collapsed and gas station canopies were twisted along the path the storm followed from its landfall on the Gulf Coast, the first hurricane to hit Texas in four years.
Claudette arrived Tuesday as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained wind of 85 mph. By Wednesday morning, it had been downgraded to a tropical depression, with sustained wind speed down to 30 mph. Radar showed it roughly centered along the border in the Del Rio area.
American Red Cross workers were assessing the damage along the 261 miles of affected coastline, spokeswoman Suzanne Hogan said Wednesday.
"Today is going to reveal a much better picture of what disaster assistance will be needed," Hogan said in Port Lavaca.
Gov. Rick Perry signed a disaster relief proclamation to help speed state and federal response and authorized the National Guard to help with recovery. He also asked President Bush for a federal disaster declaration for 15 counties.
As the storm headed west Wednesday, authorities in the Mexican border states of Coahuila and Tamaulipas kept a wary eye on water levels in the Rio Grande.
The civil defense office in Nuevo Laredo, across the border from Laredo, Texas, urged families living near the river to go to shelters.
"We are going to keep an eye on how much rain falls (upriver) in Piedras Negras," Nuevo Laredo Mayor Jose Suarez Lopez said.
Despite warnings that tropical storm tracks are hard to pinpoint in advance, Claudette caught many Texans off-guard with its changing speed and direction. As late as Sunday, the National Hurricane Center had said landfall was along the Texas-Mexico border. Then, as it turned and headed toward the Port O'Connor and Matagorda Bay area about 210 miles up the coast, meteorologists said it was likely to hit land late Tuesday. Instead, the eye crossed the coast around midday Tuesday.
Residents and vacationers complained forecasters didn't allow enough time to prepare.
In Victoria, Bertha Ramirez said her 74-year-old aunt might not have known to batten down the hatches by midday had she not called her earlier in the morning to warn that the storm had unexpectedly accelerated and was headed toward the city 40 miles inland from Port O'Connor.
"She didn't think it was coming until this evening," said Ramirez, who listened to Claudette howl and wail outside the generator-powered Target store where she worked.
"It's called the unpredictability of tropical storms," said Gene Hafele, a Houston-based National Weather Service meteorologist.
The storm dumped several inches of rain, flooding some low-lying areas, and wind gusted to nearly 100 mph.
In Jourdanton, about 35 miles south of San Antonio, 13-year-old Clayton Dojahn was killed when a mesquite tree fell on him in his front yard, police said. A 33-year-old woman was killed in Victoria by a falling tree limb, authorities said.
Claudette also toppled radio and television towers in Victoria, knocking stations off the air.
Stacy Martin, a dispatcher with the Karnes C ounty sheriff's office, said Claudette continued damaging shingles and downing power lines as it pushed inland through the area south of San Antonio.
"We've had a small twister in Kenedy, but it just knocked down a couple of buildings. There's no injuries to report of so far," Martin said.
Claudette's wind and punishing tides likely caused severe beach erosion along the coast. The first row of beach houses in Galveston and Brazoria counties could face condemnation if the state's General Land Office decides they intrude on beaches newly narrowed by Claudette.
It was the first hurricane to strike Texas since 1999, when Bret slammed into a largely unpopulated stretch between Corpus Christi and Brownsville. The last major hurricane to hit Texas was Alicia, which decimated the Houston-Galveston area in 1983.
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I believe this sums it up.
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Rainband
I think ,due to the NHC sticking to their guns on the forecast,!!!! people had more time than they would have normally..I think the authorities did an awesome job with Claudette and deserve credit and appreciation 
I read some of the NWS bullentins..out of TX..short of telling them exact winds and rainfall amounts..they were more than fair..telling them what to expect..when and where Claudette came ashore :o
I read some of the NWS bullentins..out of TX..short of telling them exact winds and rainfall amounts..they were more than fair..telling them what to expect..when and where Claudette came ashore :o
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Rainband
Yes..I understand that too Lindaloo.. However Anytime a storm is that nearing a location..preparations should be done way ahead of time. Waiting to the last minute to prepare for a storm is always a bad idea IMHO. Mother nature has always been unpredictable to one extent or another and will continue that trend..so The NHC and the NWS gave accurate information. The purpose of issuing watches and warnings is to prepare the public and in this case that was done well ahead of time..how people act in reference to those criteria is up to them
Mother nature has always been unpredictable to one extent or another and will continue that trend..so The NHC and the NWS gave accurate information. The purpose of issuing watches and warnings is to prepare the public and in this case that was done well ahead of time..how people act in reference to those criteria is up to them
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wxman57
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NPR
Even as late as 10am CDT yeserday morning, I heard NPR mention that Claudette would be making landfall on Tuesday EVENING. On KTRK, CH 13 in Houston, the local "met" (at 8am) said landfall would be late in the day. This was as the center was moving ashore.
It appeared they were reading reports from 24 hours ago before Claudette sped up.
Also, I was measuring a steady 15kt movement from 3 to 5 hours prior to landfall, while the NHC kept listing (and forecasting) only 9kts movement. As late as 4pm yesterday, their 12Z this morning position hadn't passed San Antonio!
It appeared they were reading reports from 24 hours ago before Claudette sped up.
Also, I was measuring a steady 15kt movement from 3 to 5 hours prior to landfall, while the NHC kept listing (and forecasting) only 9kts movement. As late as 4pm yesterday, their 12Z this morning position hadn't passed San Antonio!
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Rainband
Re: NPR
That is still a mute point..the watches and warnings explain what will and can occur in a given time frame..NO ONE can predict exactly what a system will do..early preparations should have been made..As always there is always someone to blame if you look hard enoughwxman57 wrote:Even as late as 10am CDT yeserday morning, I heard NPR mention that Claudette would be making landfall on Tuesday EVENING. On KTRK, CH 13 in Houston, the local "met" (at 8am) said landfall would be late in the day. This was as the center was moving ashore.
It appeared they were reading reports from 24 hours ago before Claudette sped up.
Also, I was measuring a steady 15kt movement from 3 to 5 hours prior to landfall, while the NHC kept listing (and forecasting) only 9kts movement. As late as 4pm yesterday, their 12Z this morning position hadn't passed San Antonio!
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wx247
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I think the problem here is that public may not be as "hurricane savvy" as most of us here on this board. When they hear hurricane warning, they know they should prepare, but why rush when mets are saying things like "only 75 mph winds". Take for example, the little graphic TWC uses about hurricanes. It shows wind potential, rain potential, surf potential, etc. It continually showed LOW for wind potential. We knew better but the average joe living along the Texas coast or a tourist might not.
I am not saying the NHC and local NWS officials didn't do a good job -- I just think the problem is and will continue to be educating people about tropical systems and not downplaying any potential hazards like I think some did.
I am not saying the NHC and local NWS officials didn't do a good job -- I just think the problem is and will continue to be educating people about tropical systems and not downplaying any potential hazards like I think some did.
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The posts in this forum are NOT official forecast and should not be used as such. They are just the opinion of the poster and may or may not be backed by sound meteorological data. They are NOT endorsed by any professional institution or storm2k.org. For official information, please refer to the NHC and NWS products.
The posts in this forum are NOT official forecast and should not be used as such. They are just the opinion of the poster and may or may not be backed by sound meteorological data. They are NOT endorsed by any professional institution or storm2k.org. For official information, please refer to the NHC and NWS products.
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vbhoutex
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Re: NPR
wxman57 wrote:Even as late as 10am CDT yeserday morning, I heard NPR mention that Claudette would be making landfall on Tuesday EVENING. On KTRK, CH 13 in Houston, the local "met" (at 8am) said landfall would be late in the day. This was as the center was moving ashore.
It appeared they were reading reports from 24 hours ago before Claudette sped up.
Also, I was measuring a steady 15kt movement from 3 to 5 hours prior to landfall, while the NHC kept listing (and forecasting) only 9kts movement. As late as 4pm yesterday, their 12Z this morning position hadn't passed San Antonio!
Chris I find it interesting and disturbing that the NHC would hold onto something like this much of a difference in speed. I know they have a lot of parameters they have to meet which may restrict their information output, but I sure wonder why this big a difference was not noted and announced to the public. Do you have any ideas on this? Let me finish this paragraph by saying that overall I think NHC did a excellent job with this storm considering the many anomalies she presented.
Now onto the other discussion going on here-DON'T GET ME STARTED!!!! I have been through more tropical storms and hurricanes than most people(I am not bragging!). I have lived on the Gulf coast for 48 of my 51 years and am still appalled and amazed at the CRAP I hear about "we didn't have enough time" etc.!!!!! Warnings and watches are put up well in advance of a storm and designed to give plenty of notice to those that need to prepare. These warnings always cover a larger area than is probably needed, but there is a purpose to that. It makes sure those that COULD be in harms way have plenty of time to prepare. A hurricane is not a spot on the map. It generally is at least 200 miles across, but many think they will not be affected because that dot isn't coming right over them. THat is JUST PLAIN DUMB!!!!! Rainband, yours is not an IMHO-IT IS FACT!!!! IF PEOPLE CHOOSE NOT TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE AUTHORITIES AND THE WATCHES AND WARNINGS AND EVACUATION NOTICES THEY ISSUE I DO NOT HAVE A LOT OF SYMPATHY FOR THEM WHEN THEY LOSE EVERYTHING!!! People along the Texas coast had to risk their lives yesterday to save others who had decided "it won't be that bad" or who said, and I heard this on tv, "we can wait till morning, it is still way out in the Gulf and it won't be that bad anyway since it is only a minimal Hurricane." AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!! DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE BARRIER ISLAND ISSUE or I will have thousands of Galvestonians down my throat!!!!
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Johnathan... while I understand where you are coming from, I have learned this from experience in 98. The NHC said Georges was going farther East but my local met said "no it is not folks." "You folks over in Jackson Cty. need to make the necessary precautions now because the way it looks you are going to be in the NE quadrant of it." But the NHC said it was going farther east. Had we listened to the NHC at the time, we would have been like those folks in Texas. I am not saying the NHC was not accurate, all I am saying is the local mets know the areas ALOT better than they do sometimes.
Golly David... could you be more specific?
Golly David... could you be more specific?
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mf_dolphin
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GalvestonDuck
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Guest
I know I was listening to the news reports Tuesday morning and the local mets and radio were calling for landfall that evening - and it hit around 10:00 a.m. - this is a perfect example of complacnecy and prograstination.
I have faith in the NHC - but I also know its forecasting and its not an exact science. I told my day Monday night after the west turn started that I don't think its going to rockport - cause I had seen some north wobbles or jogs - whatever you want to call them and it was going in at Port OConner or Port Lavaca. He told me last night that he was surprised that I knew were it was going....
I think sometimes the media needs to reiterate the need for all people to prepare in the path of the hurricane - not just at the point of landfall.
Weather will NEVER be a precise outlet not matter how good the NHC is - there is always going to be variables that we don't anticipate.
BTW GalvestonDuck you weren't the only one working yesterday I was too.
Just my two cents.
I have faith in the NHC - but I also know its forecasting and its not an exact science. I told my day Monday night after the west turn started that I don't think its going to rockport - cause I had seen some north wobbles or jogs - whatever you want to call them and it was going in at Port OConner or Port Lavaca. He told me last night that he was surprised that I knew were it was going....
I think sometimes the media needs to reiterate the need for all people to prepare in the path of the hurricane - not just at the point of landfall.
Weather will NEVER be a precise outlet not matter how good the NHC is - there is always going to be variables that we don't anticipate.
BTW GalvestonDuck you weren't the only one working yesterday I was too.
Just my two cents.
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Houstonia
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Okay, I wrote part of this and then went away for two hours. So, my apologies if this is late...
Upon looking at the latest comments, I can only reiterate one thing though--that is that WE on the storm boards, are FAR more aware than the normal person whol lives along the Gulf Coast.
I think there's more than one reason why people were not prepared for Claudette.
1) I think the NHC did a pretty good job in predicting Claudette. The problem (IMHO) came when their FIRST predictions of landfall were for the Brownsville area.
There ARE people who don't understand probabilities, models, etc. People who just listen to their local mets. These are the same people who heard the met say the storm was predicted to make landfall in Brownsville, and then they turned the channel, deciding that there's no more need to worry about it.
The friend I am housesitting for has a satellite dish. Do you think that with literally hundreds of channels being offered, the average person is going to sit and watch local shows OR the Weather Channel? Probably not (I say the average person--we here on the storm boards certainly don't seem average to ME).
2) The amount of new people to the Gulf Coast. We are being innundated with people from other areas of the country. These people are simply not prepared. If you haven't experienced a hurricane, I think it's hard to imagine what is in store.
I have a friend who is in his 40's. He has lived in Houston since he was in high school. Last year, when Lily and Isidore were bearing down on the upper Texas Coast, I was telling him that I was worring about the storm. His reply was, "Why? All it will be is a little wind and rain, right?" His ignorance astounded and angered me. I responded, telling him about my "adventures" in Alicia. About sitting in the hallway, hearing the constant "train" sound, wondering if it was a tornado or not. About being without power in the 2 weeks following Alicia. About my parents roof partially blowing off the house.
Once he realized that _I__ had been through quite a bit, he apologized and took it seriously. But I do realize that he took it seriously ONLY because he is my friend. He still has a flippant attitude toward storms. To him, until he is stuck in the midst of one, hurricanes will always be nothing more than a "little wind and rain". I think there are a suprising amount of people like this out walking around.
3) Finally, I think that in places like Houston, it's hard to imagine that a storm could affect you when you live more than 50 miles from the coast. Up here in the Woodlands, which is even further away, all I got from people was, "Oh, we won't be affected." or "oh, the storm will never hit HERE".
Houstonia
Upon looking at the latest comments, I can only reiterate one thing though--that is that WE on the storm boards, are FAR more aware than the normal person whol lives along the Gulf Coast.
I think there's more than one reason why people were not prepared for Claudette.
1) I think the NHC did a pretty good job in predicting Claudette. The problem (IMHO) came when their FIRST predictions of landfall were for the Brownsville area.
There ARE people who don't understand probabilities, models, etc. People who just listen to their local mets. These are the same people who heard the met say the storm was predicted to make landfall in Brownsville, and then they turned the channel, deciding that there's no more need to worry about it.
The friend I am housesitting for has a satellite dish. Do you think that with literally hundreds of channels being offered, the average person is going to sit and watch local shows OR the Weather Channel? Probably not (I say the average person--we here on the storm boards certainly don't seem average to ME).
2) The amount of new people to the Gulf Coast. We are being innundated with people from other areas of the country. These people are simply not prepared. If you haven't experienced a hurricane, I think it's hard to imagine what is in store.
I have a friend who is in his 40's. He has lived in Houston since he was in high school. Last year, when Lily and Isidore were bearing down on the upper Texas Coast, I was telling him that I was worring about the storm. His reply was, "Why? All it will be is a little wind and rain, right?" His ignorance astounded and angered me. I responded, telling him about my "adventures" in Alicia. About sitting in the hallway, hearing the constant "train" sound, wondering if it was a tornado or not. About being without power in the 2 weeks following Alicia. About my parents roof partially blowing off the house.
Once he realized that _I__ had been through quite a bit, he apologized and took it seriously. But I do realize that he took it seriously ONLY because he is my friend. He still has a flippant attitude toward storms. To him, until he is stuck in the midst of one, hurricanes will always be nothing more than a "little wind and rain". I think there are a suprising amount of people like this out walking around.
3) Finally, I think that in places like Houston, it's hard to imagine that a storm could affect you when you live more than 50 miles from the coast. Up here in the Woodlands, which is even further away, all I got from people was, "Oh, we won't be affected." or "oh, the storm will never hit HERE".
Houstonia
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Houstonia
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I can't find the link, but...
This is from a long article about the storm on ABCNews.com:
"She didn't think it was coming until this evening," said Ramirez, who
listened to Claudette howl and wail outside the generator-powered
Target store where she worked.
Residents along the affected area from swamped beach house owners and
vacationers on Galveston Island to the northeast down to the strike zone around Port O'Connor and Palacios on the mid-Texas coast complained forecasters didn't allow enough time to prepare.
"It's called the unpredictability of tropical storms," said Gene Hafele, a
Houston-based National Weather Service meteorologist.
According to the National Hurricane Center, which as late as Sunday was
predicting landfall near the mouth of the Rio Grande, the storm packed sustained winds of more than 85 mph when it came ashore. Gusts were reported to approach triple digits, and flooding was reported in low-lying areas where the storm dumped several inches of rain.
[/i]
This is from a long article about the storm on ABCNews.com:
"She didn't think it was coming until this evening," said Ramirez, who
listened to Claudette howl and wail outside the generator-powered
Target store where she worked.
Residents along the affected area from swamped beach house owners and
vacationers on Galveston Island to the northeast down to the strike zone around Port O'Connor and Palacios on the mid-Texas coast complained forecasters didn't allow enough time to prepare.
"It's called the unpredictability of tropical storms," said Gene Hafele, a
Houston-based National Weather Service meteorologist.
According to the National Hurricane Center, which as late as Sunday was
predicting landfall near the mouth of the Rio Grande, the storm packed sustained winds of more than 85 mph when it came ashore. Gusts were reported to approach triple digits, and flooding was reported in low-lying areas where the storm dumped several inches of rain.
[/i]
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Stormsfury
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Houstonia wrote:Okay, I wrote part of this and then went away for two hours. So, my apologies if this is late...
Upon looking at the latest comments, I can only reiterate one thing though--that is that WE on the storm boards, are FAR more aware than the normal person whol lives along the Gulf Coast.
I think there's more than one reason why people were not prepared for Claudette.
1) I think the NHC did a pretty good job in predicting Claudette. The problem (IMHO) came when their FIRST predictions of landfall were for the Brownsville area.
There ARE people who don't understand probabilities, models, etc. People who just listen to their local mets. These are the same people who heard the met say the storm was predicted to make landfall in Brownsville, and then they turned the channel, deciding that there's no more need to worry about it.
The friend I am housesitting for has a satellite dish. Do you think that with literally hundreds of channels being offered, the average person is going to sit and watch local shows OR the Weather Channel? Probably not (I say the average person--we here on the storm boards certainly don't seem average to ME).
2) The amount of new people to the Gulf Coast. We are being innundated with people from other areas of the country. These people are simply not prepared. If you haven't experienced a hurricane, I think it's hard to imagine what is in store.
I have a friend who is in his 40's. He has lived in Houston since he was in high school. Last year, when Lily and Isidore were bearing down on the upper Texas Coast, I was telling him that I was worring about the storm. His reply was, "Why? All it will be is a little wind and rain, right?" His ignorance astounded and angered me. I responded, telling him about my "adventures" in Alicia. About sitting in the hallway, hearing the constant "train" sound, wondering if it was a tornado or not. About being without power in the 2 weeks following Alicia. About my parents roof partially blowing off the house.
Once he realized that _I__ had been through quite a bit, he apologized and took it seriously. But I do realize that he took it seriously ONLY because he is my friend. He still has a flippant attitude toward storms. To him, until he is stuck in the midst of one, hurricanes will always be nothing more than a "little wind and rain". I think there are a suprising amount of people like this out walking around.
3) Finally, I think that in places like Houston, it's hard to imagine that a storm could affect you when you live more than 50 miles from the coast. Up here in the Woodlands, which is even further away, all I got from people was, "Oh, we won't be affected." or "oh, the storm will never hit HERE".
Houstonia
Bingo ...
On 1) A lot of times when especially in the morning, the forecasts heard on radio from affiliated TV stations are pre-recorded the prior evening ... some TV stations have the same format ... while most people are aware the weather changes constantly, they'll also generally take everything fed to them as gospel ... until something else happens, and wonder/blame the forecasters for an old/wrong forecast ...
on 2) That rule applies to everywhere along the Gulf and Eastern Seaboard ... so many new people are flooding their way to the coast in record numbers, and 85% of people have never been through a major hurricane ... I guess I'm one of those "lucky" 15% who has ... In general, most people are totally oblivious until it actually strikes them in the face.
on 3) Another excellent observation in this obviously well-thought out post ... People thought the same thing about storms like Hugo, Opal, and Floyd ... fortunately in this day and age, more and more people are becoming aware of the facets hurricanes can bring ... at the same time and counterpoint, more and more people are also totally oblivious to the fact that hurricanes just don't "die" and suddenly go away once they make landfall ... Houstonians know this all too well with a tropical storm called "Allison" on 2001 ... Georgians know this all too well with Tropical Storm Alberto in 1994 ... and both storms I mentioned are the billion dollar Tropical Storms ...
SF
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vbhoutex
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Duck, you don't want me started on the barrier island issue. I promise!!! But since you asked, here goes! 
What is a barrier? Definition by vb-somthing that is in place to block something elses movement or at least dampen it.
What is a barrier island? See above defintion and add the words an island in place of something.
So why in the world would people live on something mother nature put in place to help protect the coastline? It is beyond me!!!
Over the years Mother Nature has proven over and over that she does not intend for man to permanently inhabit the barrier islands so well placed along so much of the GOM and Eastern Seabord. EVERYTIME we have a major hurricane she says very loudly and clearly by destroying nearly everything on those islands-MY ISLANDS ARE NOT MEANT FOR PERMANENT HABITATION AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE NECESSARY TO SUPPORT THEM. I have witnessed first hand the protection they provide when left to wilderness except for maybe an access road to the beaches. Why do you think an island has large dunes on it-for effect? NO they help break up the incoming MASSIVE WAVES that a strong hurricane produces. When those dunes are destroyed for development that protection is lost. Galveston's seawall is good and it does protect the island residents somewhat, but why doesn't it go clear around an island whose highest elevation may be 12 feet-an island that has seen storm surges in the 18 foot range? I could go on and on about this, but the point is that barrier islands are just that natural barriers that are not meant to be permanently inhabited.
What is a barrier? Definition by vb-somthing that is in place to block something elses movement or at least dampen it.
What is a barrier island? See above defintion and add the words an island in place of something.
So why in the world would people live on something mother nature put in place to help protect the coastline? It is beyond me!!!
Over the years Mother Nature has proven over and over that she does not intend for man to permanently inhabit the barrier islands so well placed along so much of the GOM and Eastern Seabord. EVERYTIME we have a major hurricane she says very loudly and clearly by destroying nearly everything on those islands-MY ISLANDS ARE NOT MEANT FOR PERMANENT HABITATION AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE NECESSARY TO SUPPORT THEM. I have witnessed first hand the protection they provide when left to wilderness except for maybe an access road to the beaches. Why do you think an island has large dunes on it-for effect? NO they help break up the incoming MASSIVE WAVES that a strong hurricane produces. When those dunes are destroyed for development that protection is lost. Galveston's seawall is good and it does protect the island residents somewhat, but why doesn't it go clear around an island whose highest elevation may be 12 feet-an island that has seen storm surges in the 18 foot range? I could go on and on about this, but the point is that barrier islands are just that natural barriers that are not meant to be permanently inhabited.
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Houstonia
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Super good point VB.
Actually, I would go a step further and claim that Mother Nature never intended for the Coastal areas to be as populated as they are either. Or at least if we live in this area--perhaps we should have been lowering the cement to soil ratio.
I think a good warning sign of this is the erosion, subsidence, and ultimately foundation problems that we have...
Anyone ever read the Account by Cabeza De Vaca where he describes Galveston?
Actually, I would go a step further and claim that Mother Nature never intended for the Coastal areas to be as populated as they are either. Or at least if we live in this area--perhaps we should have been lowering the cement to soil ratio.
I think a good warning sign of this is the erosion, subsidence, and ultimately foundation problems that we have...
Anyone ever read the Account by Cabeza De Vaca where he describes Galveston?
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