Hurricane-proof House

[Dave Balderstone]

As long as you understand the limitations.

Look into the NASA research on toilets related to manned flight to Mars.

[Lil' Dave]

Cows have that too, its called herd instinct. Today's typical mindset, impression that it qualifiies since the herd is doing it, doesn't involve much higher thinking. Moo.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Some sewage treatment plants are making a compost as a by-product. Maybe it goes through a turd sorter first.

[zenboom]

It's a growth industry. Which other essential industry has an escalating supply of materials piped in for free? What could be more essential then boosting food production ?

[Steve Peterson]

snip>

They work by evaporating water, which is volatile, and then condensing it on the cool surface. Depends on the other contents, like salt, not being volatile. For the nasty mix along the gulf coast, part of the problem is petroleum components, which are also volatile. So it might actually produce a product water with a higher concentration of some of the impurities. Depends on vapor pressure, condensation temperature, etc.

Steve

[Michael Daly]

In the case of the HA, their primary goal was to slow down, not necessarily stop the cops. The large concrete blocks in front of the concrete wall keep a backhoe at a significant distance too. All in all, the design looks like a typical US embassy or consulate.

Mike

[Goedjn]

The excuse is that the presence of a camera encourages people play TO the camera, and thus makes them harder to control than otherwise.

The REASON is because cops are control freaks.

[Goedjn]

Only if you've got a really big freaking roof. What you really want is to replace the attic and roof with a greenhouse, so as to control pests and weather. But the people/sqft ratio is really low, until you start investing in some serious intensive gardening equipment.

--Goedjn

[Goedjn]

Disagreement: If you're going to this length, you should use a more reasonable figure for time-to-rescue of 7 days. 72 hours is the figure used for people who are trying to do the best they can with what's available. 72 hours is what you should keep in the trunk of your car.

[Beachcomber]

Looks like all of the major concrete buildings in downtown N.O. "survived" Katrina noting the obvious problems with windows being blown out and the roof of the Superdome falling apart.

The dumb decicions would be the placement of critical facilities at the ground (flooding level), for locating emergency generators, electrical rooms, HVAC, etc. It would seem that if these were located at higher floors to begin with, coupled with larger emergency water tanks and fuel supplies, and perhaps a 2 week pre-placed food supply, that these buildings would make nice shelters against future hurricanes (even cat. 5).

Elsewhere in the city, critical cellular and municipal communications towers should have been hardened for maximum strength and have all generators and ground facilities elevated above the flooding level.

Beachcomber

[PDQ]

| >The answer will be a storm-proof safe room built on top of this | >concrete structure. It will probably be the size of a large bathroom | >and made of steel or concrete for protection against flying debris or | >tree falls. It should be capable of being buttoned down and float | >upright like a boat should it be dislodged. At that level of storm | >intensity there is no longer any consideration of living in it to | >guard your property. All you want is to survive the perfect storm = and | >get the hell out, a stay of less than 48 hours. |=20 | Disagreement: If you're going to this length, you should use a more | reasonable figure for time-to-rescue of 7 days. 72 hours | is the figure used for people who are trying to do the best=20 | they can with what's available. 72 hours is what you should | keep in the trunk of your car. |=20 |=20 |=20

Seems to me Noah planned for a longer stay. Also seems his structure was a bit bigger too.

--=20 PDQ

--

[CW]

Seems to me Noah planned for a longer stay. Also seems his structure was a bit bigger too.

You were there?

[Steven]

That *might* keep out the thug looters in Nawlins.

[PDQ]

There are days when I feel as if I were.

Mostly, I have to go by what I read.

--=20 PDQ

--

[George Max]

I think he read about it somewhere. I believe that story is in a book that's an anthology of sorts. ;)

[bridger]

well, here... read this:

[kevindreyling]

You know because my girlfirend lives in Monroe, LA she deserves nothing less than a 15,000 square foor mansion. See my new post asking about the Richardsonian Romanesque style house since my dream is to build her (&me) a huge tornado proof mansion if I ever become rich enough. But all of your ideas are good though.

[HMFIC-1369]

Bottom line is 30 days! Katrina shows areas still under flood waters, well after a week. The object is NOT rescue! I maintain 6 months food and water in my food cellar. This will allow me to ride out the worst and be able to relocate to safer area if need be and still maintain a solid homefront!

[Duane Bozarth]

More significantly, how does one prevent the flooding of the cellar or the complete destruction of the entire dwelling given a Cat 5 or Fujita

5 storm?

[Duane Bozarth]

Precisely my point...to do what HMFIC wants in general is a very difficult and expensive task. You can be prepared for ordinary events pretty well and make things a lot easier on yourself, but in a catastrophic situation things are likely to get out of hand for almost everybody in the affected area.