What building structures are safe in a Cat 5?

[Novacane]

Thinking about Jamaica in particular, but really anywhere.

Reinforced concrete? Brick & block? Reinforced Steel?

Where does someone go to be safe from 150mph+ winds?

[dhweather]

Usually ones 500 miles away.

couldn't resist!!

[hurricanemike]

NONE are in a CAT 5

[jlauderdal]

Thinking about Jamaica in particular, but really anywhere.

Reinforced concrete? Brick & block? Reinforced Steel?

Where does someone go to be safe from 150mph+ winds?

sherman tank. cat 5 pretty much wipes it clean and you start over...ask the jamaicans in a few days.

[jabber]

Underground, bomb shelters, Bank vaults

[Josephine96]

I don;t even know if a severe weather safe room would survive a Cat 5 even though they're supposed too

[Innotech]

a steel reinforced concrete bunker might make it through

[caneman]

Would never want to experiment and find out. If I were in Jamaica right now I would be ________ my pants.

[Agua]

A reinforced concrete building several miles from any flooding danger would probably be safe, though still a terrifying experience.

[Raider Power]

Links below to the TTU Wind Science and Engineering Research Center.

http://www.wind.ttu.edu/

http://www.wind.ttu.edu/Shelters/Report/DIF_reports.pdf

[GbrNole]

air force base down in homestead did ok through andrew didn't it?

[Patrick99]

air force base down in homestead did ok through andrew didn't it?

Yes, there were buildings that did OK. Supposedly, even Habitat for Humanity homes sustained only relatively minor damage.

[soonertwister]

Correctly reinforced solid concrete or filled concrete block with high strength well-secured shutters, combined with a low-profile or flat wood or steel truss roof with ultra-strong perimeter and intermediate anchoring to the foundation or concrete slab floor should be sufficient in most cases.

Roof sheathing would need to be properly secured OSB or plywood at or over 5/8" thick, and roof overhang would need to be kept to an absolute minimum, preferably 0-6".

Asphalt shingles would be stripped from the roof, and a membrane roof would probably completely peel off. Well anchored sheet steel roofing would be safe if of sufficient gauge to prevent excessive flexing in the extreme winds.

Even very well constructed wood frame homes will often be completely destroyed in a category 5 hurricane. Hurricanes that large find the single weakness in your structure, and once that sole weak spot is exposed and compromised, the rest of the structure will eventually disintegrate.

Of course you could also be in a virtually storm-proof home a half mile from the beach and still drown when a 25 foot storm surge moves through...

[chadtm80]

What building structures are safe in a Cat 5?

Any structure that is three states away

[jes]

What if your house is about 50 miles away from the ocean?

[c5Camille]

your safest structure is probably your
car... with a full tank of gas and running away...

[lilyv]

I know the Base Housing at Andersen AFB in Guam is built to survive a cat 5- our family went through Super-typhoon Paka there.

What's it look like?? Shoebox-like, cinderblock, with very, very strong shutters that you just close-no hammering or taking up or down.

Is it ugly?? Absolutely. But, I was really, really glad I was in one of those houses when the typhoon hit.

[Novacane]

Thanks for all the helpful comments (and the humor). I hope there are sufficient numbers of strong shelters to protect everyone, but I'm terrified that there aren't nearly enough safe havens.

Let's hope the track and intensity forecasts are wrong. Seems unlikely.

[msbee]

and don't forget tornados that are spawned in hurricanes expecailly a storng hurircane like Iivan. What Ivan's winds alone won't destroy, the wind from a tornado will.
I am worreid for people in Jamaica. Many of them live in rural areas with little few places to go to for safety
This could be devastating for them, as it was for Greanda.
and then Cuba would be the same
horrifying to think about!

[Orlando_wx]

some one a long time ago came up with this link i don't know much about this but this building but this might fit the bill.
http://www.usbunkers.com

john