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September 13, 2004
Architecture and Hurricanes
Now is it just me or is there a problem with the design of houses in the Caribbean and Florida? Watching the news over the past few weeks has really made me think about this problem.Preparing for a hurricane doesn't mean just boarding up windows and getting out of town. It means much tougher building regulations! Here in Jersey, we have such a strict code to build to. It doesn't take much, just costs a little more from the outset. But just how much damage has been caused in Florida and Jamaica? How much do you think the bill will be to put that lot right? We had a hurricane in Jersey in October 1987. The only real damage was to those buildings unlucky enough to have trees falling on them. As for roofs blowing off, there was only 1 incident of this happening! It was on a hotel in town. (I think I was involved in the design of it too :) But anyway, I digress! It just goes to show that bricks and steel are much more robust than timber and nails. My conclusion: Get rid of all those mobile homes and timber huts (Well the hurricane has already done that job for you!) and build yourselves a sturdy / safe dwelling. Don't cut costs, do it properly and your home should be a safe place to live in. O.k obviously there will be damage to dwellings in a bad position (ie: next to water sources like on a river bank or on the coast) but you can still design a safe dwelling even in that environment. Or an even better idea. Move to somewhere where they don't keep getting hurricanes, twisters and floods. After saying all that, my heart does go out to all those people who have suffered through this nightmare.Posted by Markiss at September 13, 2004 3:07 PM
