Sirens/Stupidity in Fl. (tornadoes, apartments, condos)

[BlueWillowPlate]

Thanks Sunrico! (And Macguy, for his valuable suggestion.)

[traysea]

Exactly... I live in Cincinnati area and after we had a tornado rip through the northern part of our suburbs... we got a weather radio and it comes on whenever there is a weather emergency.

It does wake us up and we also have sirens that I can hear (barely) when we've have very bad weather.

Taking shelter like you would to ride out a hurricane is about all you can do in Florida... a bathroom or under stairwell is a good place to go..

[SouthernBelle3]

FYI, sirens in the area of Paisley or all of rural Florida would not be very practical. Perhaps sirens in high population densities would be something to check into. Still, siren or not, where do you hide from an F3 tornado in the middle of the night when you live in a flimsy mobile home and so do your neighbors. That is all some people can afford since really well built homes may be too expensive for many residents. Weather radios are one solution.
Also, BTW, some shelters are closed due to none of the storm survivors needing the shelter. For all the negative stuff about Florida, many of these people are staying with neighbors or relatives. People in Florida really do care about each other.

[tallrick]

If you build right no weather can hurt you, period. In my own home I did install a lightning sensor and rate of change barometer. Lightning frequency of mre than 20 strikes per/min or a pressure drop of more than a few millibars in that period triggers the emergency alarm at home, which is also the fire alarm system. I have only been awaken a few times by it, but once it did come before a massive storm and waterspout. The middle room of the house is my "safe room" and with no windows and concrete walls is pretty much tornado proof. Sirens are useless as I have slept through massive storms and a boat explosion.

[ARC]

[quote=macguy;334308]One problem is there is nowhere to go. There are no cellars or anyplace to hide. Either way a good investment is a weather radio.

But with sufficient warning, you could move your family to the lower level of your home (where it IS safer), take cover in an interior closet or bathtub. Yes, in an F3 your home may still be torn apart, but you increase your chances of survival if you do what I just suggested.

Anyway, I'm from Dallas, Texas and we had tornado sirens and no storm cellars in the D/FW area as a general rule (so also, "no place to go.") However, the sirens were helpful in order to take cover in a timely manner and get to a safer part of your house.

Personally, I think it's pretty typical that Florida has no tornado sirens.

[macguy]

Originally Posted by tallrick

If you build right no weather can hurt you, period. In my own home I did install a lightning sensor and rate of change barometer. Lightning frequency of mre than 20 strikes per/min or a pressure drop of more than a few millibars in that period triggers the emergency alarm at home, which is also the fire alarm system. I have only been awaken a few times by it, but once it did come before a massive storm and waterspout. The middle room of the house is my "safe room" and with no windows and concrete walls is pretty much tornado proof. Sirens are useless as I have slept through massive storms and a boat explosion.

Here is a house by the guy that is going to build us a house. It is like an English castle. The walls are over 16 inches thick solid concrete and steel. The amazing thing, the basic shell of this house can be built for like $70 to $90 a sq. ft. It will be around for hundreds of years after we are all dead. I am having mine built with a flat concrete roof, I believe it will be better but basically what you see here, I like this design.

[tallrick]

If you get the poured concrete roof you will never have a weather problem. Just make sure they insulate the concrete on top of the roof to avoid thermal storage on those hot Florida days. If you can get roll down shutters or impact resistant windows Florida hurricanes will have no power over your safety. As you know building right is not too expensive and worth every dollar spent.

[MaryLou2007]

Originally Posted by cuse

Well once again it amazes me just how a$$ backwards Florida really is. After two major Tornados, Hurricanes and wild fires this state still refuses to install sirens! With the loss of life in 98 and now in 2007 politicans still do not realize the importance of this warning system. Their thought is that during the summer months most people have their a/c running and all windows closed tight, therefore they wouldm't be able to hear a siren. Well guess what, A mobile home is made of tin, most homes are made of block on the first floor and wood-frame on the second where bedrooms are.

I ask people here......would you know what to do if you heard a siren blasting off in the middle of the night or afternoon??

Problem #1: Let me tell you, the sirens will NOT work. I will tell you why. At most mobile home parks, yes, a siren could work, as everyone would hear it. The problem is that some trailers and mobile homes are waaaaay out in the sticks and there is no way the counties can get a siren near a trailer in every neck of the woods. No way. It is impossible to create this enourmous network of sirens.

Problem #2: Sirens only work in trailer parks. Tornadoes can whack both houses and trailers the same way, but in houses, people usually have A/C and since it's FL, the A/C will be on almost everyday of the year and they will not hear the siren.

Problem #3: Poeple will hear sirens and will not know what to do or they will have nowhere to hide, if they are in a trailer. In a trailer, you are screwed not matter what!

Problem #4: People will hear sirens and think it's a fire truck!!

Now here are some better ideas:

Better soultion #1: Have people get their on NOAA radios. These alert you and sound off a loud buzz when there is hazardour weather (not just tornadoes, but floods, and etc). They even give you the weather forecast!! They are set for your area only. They have a screen that tells you teh type of threat. They cost ONLY $40. I know you will say "some people cannot afford it", well, they can stop buying cigaretts for a few days and get it OR the county can provide some rebate program for fixed-income people.



Better solution #2: Have 911 call every number in the county areas through an automated system and wake people up! Thye do this in many states, why not here?? Once the compyter system is set up, there is no cost to make the calls!!

How about these.... Like the ideas? Thanks to John Mica for bringing them up!

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by macguy

Here is a house by the guy that is going to build us a house. It is like an English castle. The walls are over 16 inches thick solid concrete and steel. The amazing thing, the basic shell of this house can be built for like $70 to $90 a sq. ft. It will be around for hundreds of years after we are all dead. I am having mine built with a flat concrete roof, I believe it will be better but basically what you see here, I like this design.

macguy - that is a beautiful house! But my husband who is an architect would tell you DO NOT do a flat roof! Go with the hip roof that is shown on the home - they deflect high winds MUCH better. Flat roofs are the absolute worst for a Florida home, and we speak from experience. Thanks for posting that pic!

[tallrick]

Most architects know little about engineering. A flat concrete roof has little lift in a storm, and is preferred because you don't have to worry about painting, and the expense of fancy roofing. Just make sure that the roof is covered with a watertight membrane. One idea is to use dirt and grass/plants as a roof cover. This way you get insulation and hurricane protection from flying debris, and it soundproofs your home. If I had free water I would have done it to my home. Plus you get all that roof space for FREE if you put a railing around it. DON'T put the WOOD TRUSS ROOF. Please DON'T do it!! You'll have a lifetime of headaches that poured concrete will not give you. After hurricane Andrew I looked for a building with a flat, poured concrete roof that was damaged, it did not exist. Architects are a bad source of info, look for a qualified structural engineer with experience in concrete constructuin. REMEMBER most home builders are ignorant of the benefits of POURED concrete.