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[Natural Disasters] redux: Fires, Hurricanes, Floods, and everything else

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Posts

  • HacksawHacksaw J. Duggan Esq. Wrestler at LawRegistered User regular
    Born and raised Puget Sounder here. For the longest time, our summers used to go from approximately the middle of July until the beginning/middle of September. Rainfall wasn't uncommon, either; we rarely went more than a month without some form of downpour, be it powerful or middling. I can count on one hand the number of times in my youth that "Fire Season" was a thing that made the local news and still have enough fingers left over to slap a climate denier. The change in the character of our average regional conditions has happened rapidly and with great ferocity. Summer has become a snarling dragon of a season, breathing fire and smoke, growing longer and more unmanageable with each passing year. The apocalyptic betting game between ice and fire has produced a red result written on the smokey sky outside my window. Average rainfall is down, acreage lost to fires are up, glaciers are shrinking, forests are dying, rivers are drying, and inexplicably my rent keeps rising.

    It pains me to say it, but this place has become the literal hellscape foretold of in so much glossy cyberpunk media from Neuromancer to Shadowrun, and everything in between. I'd say I hope we can get a fix on this with someone else in the White House, but I also know that the national parties by and large don't give a fuck about people on the west coast, so I won't hold my breath.

    Or rather, I will hold my breath, because the air isn't fit to breathe.

  • Phoenix-DPhoenix-D Registered User regular
    Counterpoint to the fire season thing
    https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2018/08/15/30818635/seattles-summers-should-be-a-bit-smoky
    When Mark Twain arrived in Olympia on an August day in 1895 his welcome party had an apology for him.

    “I am sorry the smoke is so dense that you cannot see our mountains and our forests, which are now on fire,” said John Miller Murphy, the editor of the local paper.

    Twain was experiencing a fairly common summer occurrence in the 19th-century Puget Sound Lowlands, as the millions of surrounding acres of forests followed their natural burn cycle, occasionally filling the region with smoke and blocking the mountain views that Twain’s welcome party had hoped to impress upon him.

    Those natural fires went away soon after Twain's trip thanks to our government's fire suppression efforts, effectively stopping smoke from ever filling spaces like Seattle. We've spent a century unnaturally suppressing wildfires, an effort that we are now reckoning with by experiencing bigger and more destructive fires. And more smoke in our cities.

    Smoke in Seattle is not an abnormality, it's the absence of smoke for over a century that is strange.

    And now we get the one two punch: those fires are now too big to control and climate change is making them much worse.

  • HevachHevach Registered User regular
    https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/09/12/weather/tropical-update-gulf-storm-saturday/index.html

    Tropical storm Sally formed in the gulf and is now expected to become a hurricane (earlier today it only had medium chance to make tropical storm just before landfall). It's expected to make landfall in Mississippi, watches are on place from Louisiana to the Florida panhandle.

    This is not expected to be a severe storm, unless you're right on the coast or in an area that's not expecting water or power to be restored for weeks from the last storm (Sorry Louisiana).


    On the records, this is an 18 day record break for the S storm, and also a record break for the biggest record break. T is almost certain to be named in the next couple days, the record is 22 days out right now, so it's sure to be both an even bigger record break.

  • CorvusCorvus . VancouverRegistered User regular
    Checking in from Vancouver BC. We've apparently got the second worst air quality on the planet today behind Portland. It was weirdly cool out due to the smoke blocking the sun. Was not a smart day to re-arrange my garage. Never great when the weather forecast is "Smoke"

    We may get some rain Monday night, hope the states do too.

    :so_raven:
  • Phoenix-DPhoenix-D Registered User regular
    Corvus wrote: »
    Checking in from Vancouver BC. We've apparently got the second worst air quality on the planet today behind Portland. It was weirdly cool out due to the smoke blocking the sun. Was not a smart day to re-arrange my garage. Never great when the weather forecast is "Smoke"

    We may get some rain Monday night, hope the states do too.


    Perhaps this can be filed under "weather whiplash". On Thursday, Seattle reached a record high of 91. A temperature that warm had occurred only 7 times so late in the year. Today, just 48 hours later, the high was 61. This was the second coldest September 12th on record.

    Same situation here, as far as smoke clears go. I think OR/CA are still fucked for a bit

  • IncenjucarIncenjucar VChatter Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    California's Creek Fire is 8% contained! Progress! Sadly, still 196,667 burned, but at least it's getting less explosive. Doesn't help any of the other poor folks and critters in the path of the main destruction, but it looks like my family is at least going to get through this one in one piece, for now.

  • BullheadBullhead Registered User regular
    Hevach wrote: »
    https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/09/12/weather/tropical-update-gulf-storm-saturday/index.html

    Tropical storm Sally formed in the gulf and is now expected to become a hurricane (earlier today it only had medium chance to make tropical storm just before landfall). It's expected to make landfall in Mississippi, watches are on place from Louisiana to the Florida panhandle.

    This is not expected to be a severe storm, unless you're right on the coast or in an area that's not expecting water or power to be restored for weeks from the last storm (Sorry Louisiana).


    On the records, this is an 18 day record break for the S storm, and also a record break for the biggest record break. T is almost certain to be named in the next couple days, the record is 22 days out right now, so it's sure to be both an even bigger record break.

    Problem right now with Sally (at least here in florida) is flooding. It's been raining for like 3 weeks solid here and this is not helping, most of the west coast of florida is under flood watches/warnings. I've had to drain the pool down about 5 inches already once (it was about to overflow) and it's already pushing back up close to needing it again >.<

    96058.png?1619393207
  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Bullhead wrote: »
    Hevach wrote: »
    https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/09/12/weather/tropical-update-gulf-storm-saturday/index.html

    Tropical storm Sally formed in the gulf and is now expected to become a hurricane (earlier today it only had medium chance to make tropical storm just before landfall). It's expected to make landfall in Mississippi, watches are on place from Louisiana to the Florida panhandle.

    This is not expected to be a severe storm, unless you're right on the coast or in an area that's not expecting water or power to be restored for weeks from the last storm (Sorry Louisiana).


    On the records, this is an 18 day record break for the S storm, and also a record break for the biggest record break. T is almost certain to be named in the next couple days, the record is 22 days out right now, so it's sure to be both an even bigger record break.

    Problem right now with Sally (at least here in florida) is flooding. It's been raining for like 3 weeks solid here and this is not helping, most of the west coast of florida is under flood watches/warnings. I've had to drain the pool down about 5 inches already once (it was about to overflow) and it's already pushing back up close to needing it again >.<

    Send some rain to Seattle we miss it and want our moody shitty rain back. This smoke aint it.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    Bullhead wrote: »
    Hevach wrote: »
    https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/09/12/weather/tropical-update-gulf-storm-saturday/index.html

    Tropical storm Sally formed in the gulf and is now expected to become a hurricane (earlier today it only had medium chance to make tropical storm just before landfall). It's expected to make landfall in Mississippi, watches are on place from Louisiana to the Florida panhandle.

    This is not expected to be a severe storm, unless you're right on the coast or in an area that's not expecting water or power to be restored for weeks from the last storm (Sorry Louisiana).


    On the records, this is an 18 day record break for the S storm, and also a record break for the biggest record break. T is almost certain to be named in the next couple days, the record is 22 days out right now, so it's sure to be both an even bigger record break.

    Problem right now with Sally (at least here in florida) is flooding. It's been raining for like 3 weeks solid here and this is not helping, most of the west coast of florida is under flood watches/warnings. I've had to drain the pool down about 5 inches already once (it was about to overflow) and it's already pushing back up close to needing it again >.<

    Send some rain to Seattle we miss it and want our moody shitty rain back. This smoke aint it.

    The entire west coast has become London circa 1900, but with fewer horses.

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Orca wrote: »
    Preacher wrote: »
    Bullhead wrote: »
    Hevach wrote: »
    https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/09/12/weather/tropical-update-gulf-storm-saturday/index.html

    Tropical storm Sally formed in the gulf and is now expected to become a hurricane (earlier today it only had medium chance to make tropical storm just before landfall). It's expected to make landfall in Mississippi, watches are on place from Louisiana to the Florida panhandle.

    This is not expected to be a severe storm, unless you're right on the coast or in an area that's not expecting water or power to be restored for weeks from the last storm (Sorry Louisiana).


    On the records, this is an 18 day record break for the S storm, and also a record break for the biggest record break. T is almost certain to be named in the next couple days, the record is 22 days out right now, so it's sure to be both an even bigger record break.

    Problem right now with Sally (at least here in florida) is flooding. It's been raining for like 3 weeks solid here and this is not helping, most of the west coast of florida is under flood watches/warnings. I've had to drain the pool down about 5 inches already once (it was about to overflow) and it's already pushing back up close to needing it again >.<

    Send some rain to Seattle we miss it and want our moody shitty rain back. This smoke aint it.

    The entire west coast has become London circa 1900, but with fewer horses.

    But more peoples ability to pronounce the H sound.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • dispatch.odispatch.o Registered User regular
    Current visibility where I am just outside of Portland, OR is about 50 feet. It's going to feel real strange going to the grocery store in a respirator in a little bit.

    It feels like I'm watching a prequel to The Road.

  • NobeardNobeard North Carolina: Failed StateRegistered User regular
    Hacksaw wrote: »
    Born and raised Puget Sounder here. For the longest time, our summers used to go from approximately the middle of July until the beginning/middle of September. Rainfall wasn't uncommon, either; we rarely went more than a month without some form of downpour, be it powerful or middling. I can count on one hand the number of times in my youth that "Fire Season" was a thing that made the local news and still have enough fingers left over to slap a climate denier. The change in the character of our average regional conditions has happened rapidly and with great ferocity. Summer has become a snarling dragon of a season, breathing fire and smoke, growing longer and more unmanageable with each passing year. The apocalyptic betting game between ice and fire has produced a red result written on the smokey sky outside my window. Average rainfall is down, acreage lost to fires are up, glaciers are shrinking, forests are dying, rivers are drying, and inexplicably my rent keeps rising.

    It pains me to say it, but this place has become the literal hellscape foretold of in so much glossy cyberpunk media from Neuromancer to Shadowrun, and everything in between. I'd say I hope we can get a fix on this with someone else in the White House, but I also know that the national parties by and large don't give a fuck about people on the west coast, so I won't hold my breath.

    Or rather, I will hold my breath, because the air isn't fit to breathe.

    Nice bit of climate change poetry there.

  • AbsoluteZeroAbsoluteZero The new film by Quentin Koopantino Registered User regular
    Phoenix-D wrote: »
    I think this might win for creepiest video of the month. Erg.



    re climate change vs brush clearing / forest management: Honestly? It's both. Hotter, dryer forests. More intense and shorter rainy seasons leading to more dry brush to burn. We would be having problems even if we hadn't cocked up forest management. And if we'd fixed climate change we'd still be having bad fires. The two just combine to make things much worse.

    So, there are a bunch of things that bug me about this "firenado." First is the lack of scale. How big is that thing? There's nothing here for reference. Are those fires on the ground the size of houses or the size of leaves? This could be a huge tornado or a tiny dust devil (very common in fires, I will add). Second, it is spinning anti-cyclonically, which is exceedingly rare for tornados in the northern hemisphere, and fire tornados themselves are rarer still. To have both phenomena in a single specimen is somewhat unlikely. Finally, the siren is so loud they must have been standing right next to it, which also seems unlikely, and it's strange to me that it starts up perfectly with the start of the video. Odds are the siren sound effect was added to make the video more dramatic.

    Don't get me wrong, fire tornados are real... but I'm calling fake on this one.

    Here's a real fire tornado for reference:

    0u0ob7yvdub2.jpg

    Note that it is clearly huge, and it is descending from a pyrocumulus (fire generated storm cloud).

    cs6f034fsffl.jpg
  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    Fiery equivalents of "dust devils" are entirely common in big brush fires and are nowhere near the same as actual tornadoes. An actual tornado can have windspeed that will strip the paint off your car and then fling it two miles away. That little "firenado" (fire aside) probably wouldn't even be that hard to stand up in and is probably no more than thirty or so feet tall, and is just part of what happens when you have enough fire around to move the air around a bunch; for every one of them caught on video, there's probably a dozen being missed. It just means there is a bunch of turbulent air around.

    The fire itself is infinitely more devastating than that teeny teeny atmospheric event could be.

  • Blackhawk1313Blackhawk1313 Demon Hunter for Hire Time RiftRegistered User regular
    edited September 2020
    Tornado Watch here in PC, getting some licks from the bands coming on shore, water is about 6 feet in to the driveway at this point. We should be fine, if a bit trapped for awhile, but there’s areas here where mailboxes are submerged at this point. And it hasn’t even made its landfall. Gonna be a bit of a mess when all is said and done.

    Blackhawk1313 on
  • IncenjucarIncenjucar VChatter Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    Creek Fire is at 220,025 acres, 18% contained.

    And of course now another person I care about had to evacuate because of a different fire.

  • JazzJazz Registered User regular
    Tornado Watch here in PC, getting some licks from the bands coming on shore, water is about 6 feet in to the driveway at this point. We should be fine, if a bit trapped for awhile, but there’s areas here where mailboxes are submerged at this point. And it hasn’t even made its landfall. Gonna be a bit of a mess when all is said and done.

    PC?

  • ForarForar #432 Toronto, Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited September 2020
    Typo of BC, perhaps?

    Edit: or not. A cursory google'ing isn't showing much flooding going on in BC right now.

    Forar on
    First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
  • VeeveeVeevee WisconsinRegistered User regular
    Panama City, Florida

  • Blackhawk1313Blackhawk1313 Demon Hunter for Hire Time RiftRegistered User regular
    More specifically Lynn Haven, which is nestled right next to Panama City, FL. Tornado warnings throughout the night, a river for a road, and a flash flood warning just came in. And we aren’t done yet because Sally is straight up crawling across.

  • CorvusCorvus . VancouverRegistered User regular
    Forar wrote: »
    Typo of BC, perhaps?

    Edit: or not. A cursory google'ing isn't showing much flooding going on in BC right now.

    We don't get much coastal flooding in BC, it's usually river floods due to snow pack melt.

    :so_raven:
  • IncenjucarIncenjucar VChatter Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    So, with one of the major fires headed their way, a person I know pretty much just said F this and *moved away from the countryside* with their family rather that fret over whether or not the fire was going to eat their home and all their stuff.

    I doubt they're the only ones making that kind of decision this year. Climate change and mismanagement of federal land is basically turning people into rural refugees.

  • shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    That kinda seems like the thing you'd want to encourage anyway.

  • MillMill Registered User regular
    One has to wonder how much climate change is going to drive people out of rural areas; especially, ones that are prone to catching fire.

  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    Mill wrote: »
    One has to wonder how much climate change is going to drive people out of rural areas; especially, ones that are prone to catching fire.

    Or flooding. How frequently can an area get flooded out by hurricanes until people stop rebuilding there?

  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    Orca wrote: »
    Mill wrote: »
    One has to wonder how much climate change is going to drive people out of rural areas; especially, ones that are prone to catching fire.

    Or flooding. How frequently can an area get flooded out by hurricanes until people stop rebuilding there?

    If human history is any indicator, then half past never.

    At a minimum, you would think people would at least build houses suitable for the area but nope, same fucking drywall/wood houses that half-dissolve when they get wet and are completely destroyed by mold as they dry out. And that's in spite of the fact that we definitely can build houses to safely endure those conditions now, but people don't want them because they don't have the same boring-ass looking as every other suburban home in the US.

  • SkeithSkeith Registered User regular
    Mill wrote: »
    One has to wonder how much climate change is going to drive people out of rural areas; especially, ones that are prone to catching fire.

    I'm more curious about the retreat from the coast that'll have to happen.

    aTBDrQE.jpg
  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    Orca wrote: »
    Mill wrote: »
    One has to wonder how much climate change is going to drive people out of rural areas; especially, ones that are prone to catching fire.

    Or flooding. How frequently can an area get flooded out by hurricanes until people stop rebuilding there?

    If human history is any indicator, then half past never.

    At a minimum, you would think people would at least build houses suitable for the area but nope, same fucking drywall/wood houses that half-dissolve when they get wet and are completely destroyed by mold as they dry out. And that's in spite of the fact that we definitely can build houses to safely endure those conditions now, but people don't want them because they don't have the same boring-ass looking as every other suburban home in the US.

    They're also more expensive.

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  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    Orca wrote: »
    Mill wrote: »
    One has to wonder how much climate change is going to drive people out of rural areas; especially, ones that are prone to catching fire.

    Or flooding. How frequently can an area get flooded out by hurricanes until people stop rebuilding there?

    If human history is any indicator, then half past never.

    At a minimum, you would think people would at least build houses suitable for the area but nope, same fucking drywall/wood houses that half-dissolve when they get wet and are completely destroyed by mold as they dry out. And that's in spite of the fact that we definitely can build houses to safely endure those conditions now, but people don't want them because they don't have the same boring-ass looking as every other suburban home in the US.

    They're also more expensive.

    A shitload less expensive than every major storm destroying every house in the area. The cost difference is also relatively small; concrete houses cost less than 10% more than traditional frame houses. Cheapass developers just don't want to build them and frankly, they shouldn't get the choice anymore; affected coastal areas should be coded to require storm- and flood-resistant concrete housing from now on, no more of this bullshit with thousands of people moaning about how their shitty wooden house is destroyed because they chose to live in a hurricane or flood zone.

    Buildings in cities with earthquakes are required to incorporate tech that lets them survive quakes, storm-vulnerable coastal areas should be the same.

  • Void SlayerVoid Slayer Very Suspicious Registered User regular
    It is what had to be done California for earthquake resistant structures.

    I dont think you can make fireproof homes though. Unless it is like a concrete bunker.

    I suspect making a building resistant to both flooding and hurricanes at the same time is difficult?

    How badly do these kinds of floods increase mosquito populations?

    He's a shy overambitious dog-catcher on the wrong side of the law. She's an orphaned psychic mercenary with the power to bend men's minds. They fight crime!
  • HappylilElfHappylilElf Registered User regular
    It is what had to be done California for earthquake resistant structures.

    I dont think you can make fireproof homes though. Unless it is like a concrete bunker.

    I suspect making a building resistant to both flooding and hurricanes at the same time is difficult?

    How badly do these kinds of floods increase mosquito populations?

    Reinforced concrete does all of that.

    Though concrete housing very much has it's own issues.

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    It is what had to be done California for earthquake resistant structures.

    I dont think you can make fireproof homes though. Unless it is like a concrete bunker.

    A standard three-bedroom cave home with lounge, kitchen, and bathroom can be excavated out of the rock in the hillside for a similar price to building a house on the surface.

  • EncEnc A Fool with Compassion Pronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered User regular
    Orca wrote: »
    Mill wrote: »
    One has to wonder how much climate change is going to drive people out of rural areas; especially, ones that are prone to catching fire.

    Or flooding. How frequently can an area get flooded out by hurricanes until people stop rebuilding there?

    If human history is any indicator, then half past never.

    At a minimum, you would think people would at least build houses suitable for the area but nope, same fucking drywall/wood houses that half-dissolve when they get wet and are completely destroyed by mold as they dry out. And that's in spite of the fact that we definitely can build houses to safely endure those conditions now, but people don't want them because they don't have the same boring-ass looking as every other suburban home in the US.

    Haha ok what? After Andrew building codes radically changed. Houses may still look the sameish in Florida because plastered cinderblock and/or poured concrete is what works best here. How they are built internally is significantly different, especially in roof design.

    We do build this way. We aren't building geodesic domes or some shit because there isn't a need for them and a lot of those high-minded designs are just impractical in other ways.

  • grumblethorngrumblethorn Registered User regular
    every house in my area is block ground up to second floor and then uses hurricane clips for rafters and roof design to defeat high winds. irma came right through and we lost power for a few hours no damage to houses etc.

  • TetraNitroCubaneTetraNitroCubane The Djinnerator At the bottom of a bottleRegistered User regular
    New, large, fast moving fires in Northern California
    The North Bay’s Wine Country once again became a scene of chaos on Sunday and early Monday as wildfires burned on the east and west sides of the Napa Valley and blazed toward Santa Rosa, where residential neighborhoods were engulfed in flames shortly after 1 a.m.

    This is more or less burning close to and through the same place that got hit in 2017. I feel kinda sick.

    VuIBhrs.png
  • Blackhawk1313Blackhawk1313 Demon Hunter for Hire Time RiftRegistered User regular
    Enc wrote: »
    Orca wrote: »
    Mill wrote: »
    One has to wonder how much climate change is going to drive people out of rural areas; especially, ones that are prone to catching fire.

    Or flooding. How frequently can an area get flooded out by hurricanes until people stop rebuilding there?

    If human history is any indicator, then half past never.

    At a minimum, you would think people would at least build houses suitable for the area but nope, same fucking drywall/wood houses that half-dissolve when they get wet and are completely destroyed by mold as they dry out. And that's in spite of the fact that we definitely can build houses to safely endure those conditions now, but people don't want them because they don't have the same boring-ass looking as every other suburban home in the US.

    Haha ok what? After Andrew building codes radically changed. Houses may still look the sameish in Florida because plastered cinderblock and/or poured concrete is what works best here. How they are built internally is significantly different, especially in roof design.

    We do build this way. We aren't building geodesic domes or some shit because there isn't a need for them and a lot of those high-minded designs are just impractical in other ways.

    Prime example, we took the eyewall of Hurricane Michael in 2018. Our house was built to Florida code in 2013. The only reason we had to have any repairs at all is because two trees straight up fell on the same spot of the roof. Even then, the rest held together through the entire force and the trees did not penetrate living space, only the attic. Wind code building for newer homes is actually very sound. It’s the storm surge and rain aspect that is harder to fight against, things like building up the land and not building in a flood zone are the only real consistent ways to avoid that.

  • furlionfurlion Riskbreaker Lea MondeRegistered User regular
    Enc wrote: »
    Orca wrote: »
    Mill wrote: »
    One has to wonder how much climate change is going to drive people out of rural areas; especially, ones that are prone to catching fire.

    Or flooding. How frequently can an area get flooded out by hurricanes until people stop rebuilding there?

    If human history is any indicator, then half past never.

    At a minimum, you would think people would at least build houses suitable for the area but nope, same fucking drywall/wood houses that half-dissolve when they get wet and are completely destroyed by mold as they dry out. And that's in spite of the fact that we definitely can build houses to safely endure those conditions now, but people don't want them because they don't have the same boring-ass looking as every other suburban home in the US.

    Haha ok what? After Andrew building codes radically changed. Houses may still look the sameish in Florida because plastered cinderblock and/or poured concrete is what works best here. How they are built internally is significantly different, especially in roof design.

    We do build this way. We aren't building geodesic domes or some shit because there isn't a need for them and a lot of those high-minded designs are just impractical in other ways.

    Prime example, we took the eyewall of Hurricane Michael in 2018. Our house was built to Florida code in 2013. The only reason we had to have any repairs at all is because two trees straight up fell on the same spot of the roof. Even then, the rest held together through the entire force and the trees did not penetrate living space, only the attic. Wind code building for newer homes is actually very sound. It’s the storm surge and rain aspect that is harder to fight against, things like building up the land and not building in a flood zone are the only real consistent ways to avoid that.

    That's really good to hear but I have a question. When older homes are damaged are they required to rebuild to the new code?

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  • PellaeonPellaeon Registered User regular
    New, large, fast moving fires in Northern California
    The North Bay’s Wine Country once again became a scene of chaos on Sunday and early Monday as wildfires burned on the east and west sides of the Napa Valley and blazed toward Santa Rosa, where residential neighborhoods were engulfed in flames shortly after 1 a.m.

    This is more or less burning close to and through the same place that got hit in 2017. I feel kinda sick.

    https://www.kron4.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2020/09/sonoma-county-maps.jpg?w=900

    It's literally the only part of the eastern county that didn't burn in 2017 or 2019, to the point that they're reusing fire lines lines from the 2017 fire, but now from the other direction.

    Just what the fuck, there is no break for the people living there.

  • HappylilElfHappylilElf Registered User regular
    furlion wrote: »
    Enc wrote: »
    Orca wrote: »
    Mill wrote: »
    One has to wonder how much climate change is going to drive people out of rural areas; especially, ones that are prone to catching fire.

    Or flooding. How frequently can an area get flooded out by hurricanes until people stop rebuilding there?

    If human history is any indicator, then half past never.

    At a minimum, you would think people would at least build houses suitable for the area but nope, same fucking drywall/wood houses that half-dissolve when they get wet and are completely destroyed by mold as they dry out. And that's in spite of the fact that we definitely can build houses to safely endure those conditions now, but people don't want them because they don't have the same boring-ass looking as every other suburban home in the US.

    Haha ok what? After Andrew building codes radically changed. Houses may still look the sameish in Florida because plastered cinderblock and/or poured concrete is what works best here. How they are built internally is significantly different, especially in roof design.

    We do build this way. We aren't building geodesic domes or some shit because there isn't a need for them and a lot of those high-minded designs are just impractical in other ways.

    Prime example, we took the eyewall of Hurricane Michael in 2018. Our house was built to Florida code in 2013. The only reason we had to have any repairs at all is because two trees straight up fell on the same spot of the roof. Even then, the rest held together through the entire force and the trees did not penetrate living space, only the attic. Wind code building for newer homes is actually very sound. It’s the storm surge and rain aspect that is harder to fight against, things like building up the land and not building in a flood zone are the only real consistent ways to avoid that.

    That's really good to hear but I have a question. When older homes are damaged are they required to rebuild to the new code?

    Without digging into it I'm going to guess yes because that's usually how it works when it comes to residential building code.

    Like if your house with plumbing from the 30s burns down because it has shitty wiring from the 20s you don't get to rebuild with plumbing and wiring that doesn't meet code just because the old stuff didn't.

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