Hurricane Season (Jacksonville, Orange Park: insurance, mortgage, new house)

[I95]

All the recent talk of the 2007 Hurricane Season has me wondering... what impact has the previous hurricane seasons had on the Jacksonville area? Directly or Indirectly.

Thanks.

[wacahootaman]

Jacksonville is not normally effected severely by hurricanes. In fact, it is probablty the safest area for hurricanes on the Florida coast.

The last direct hit was Dora a cat 2 in 1964. In 2004 we were effected again by Francis and Jeane but only by tropical force winds which did cause a lot of power outages given all the big trees in Jax that were damaged.

[verobeach]

Jacksonville has no immunity to hurricanes. They've just been lucky. They do not build to the strict Florida hurricane codes so their luck better keep them safe. We were up there a month ago and we were stunned to learn from a realtor that their homes are wood frame, not cbs, and that there are no wind guards on the garage doors. The builders do not supply hurricane shutters as they are required to do in south Florida. Stay lucky, Jacksonville! You need it.

[Karla with a K]

cy
I have been here 15 years and have never had a problem
we had some wind during the 2005 season but it was more on the west side of town
karla

[ManFromMissouri]

i agree with verobeach, it's probably only a matter of time before Jax gets there hurricane. Not as likely as some other spots in Florida but definitely not immune by any stretch of the imagination. And if you think otherwise, just go ask an insurance agent about homeowners.

[riveree]

Verobeach,

I'm not sure of the age of homes you were viewing, but the building codes in Duval County (Jax) are quite strict.

Typically, the homes are wood frame with steel cables between each and every stud tying the roof to the concrete slab. Concrete block construction means nothing if your roof is not tied down. Most builders will build your home in CB for an additional price. Your home will not be as well insulated, it will NOT be impervious to termites, it will be difficult to add on to later and you will lose interior square footage. Every new home is cabled in this way, standard.

The garages DO have wind guards - you install them on the inside of your garage door prior to storm arrival - the new ones take 5-10 minutes to install and when the storm is over you remove it and tuck it over in the corner of your garage. Every new home comes with the guard, standard.

Hurricane shutters would be an upgrade/option or you can buy your own. The old plywood method, when properly installed has been shown to be more than adequate.

No one living in Jax would be foolish enough to think our city immune to the possibility of a direct hit, but a direct hit is unlikely. If a storm doesn't hit South Florida of the Gulf Coast (the likely targets of hurricanes), then the storms tend to travel north of us and land in the Carolinas...it's simple topography folks!

That should read "South Florida OR the Gulf Coast"

[verobeach]

Originally Posted by riveree

Verobeach,

I'm not sure of the age of homes you were viewing, but the building codes in Duval County (Jax) are quite strict.

Typically, the homes are wood frame with steel cables between each and every stud tying the roof to the concrete slab. Concrete block construction means nothing if your roof is not tied down. Most builders will build your home in CB for an additional price. Your home will not be as well insulated, it will NOT be impervious to termites, it will be difficult to add on to later and you will lose interior square footage. Every new home is cabled in this way, standard.

The garages DO have wind guards - you install them on the inside of your garage door prior to storm arrival - the new ones take 5-10 minutes to install and when the storm is over you remove it and tuck it over in the corner of your garage. Every new home comes with the guard, standard.

Hurricane shutters would be an upgrade/option or you can buy your own. The old plywood method, when properly installed has been shown to be more than adequate.

No one living in Jax would be foolish enough to think our city immune to the possibility of a direct hit, but a direct hit is unlikely. If a storm doesn't hit South Florida of the Gulf Coast (the likely targets of hurricanes), then the storms tend to travel north of us and land in the Carolinas...it's simple topography folks!

We sat and talked with a realtor who represented 5 custom builders of new homes on Fleming Island, Orange Park. And, of course, the roof is trussed. I didn't mention this because I took this for granted. But I'll take a cbs house any day. Concrete block with rebar rods through the holes then reinforced with poured concrete. Hurricane shutters should not be left as an upgrade anywhere in Florida, especially with the attitude some of the Jax folks have that it can never happen here!

[riveree]

No Jax resident that has posted here has the attitude that "it could never happen here", nor have I ever met anyone in Jax with that attitude, so I'm not sure who you mean.

Yes, all roofs are trussed now...you don't like trussed roofs? The description you provided for concrete block (block, rebar throughout, poured concrete) is exactly how the slabs are done here, then trussed roof is tied by steel cable to said slab...it's really quite good.

If you want your new house to come with hurricane shutters, I bet the builder could be accomodating and you roll the cost into your mortgage like any other upgrade, or just buy them seperately - they sell them at Costco and everywhere else.

Since as it turns out, you were actually looking at homes in Clay county and not Duval as your original post stated, the codes may indeed be a bit different in Clay county (it is 30+ miles inland), they would be different in Middle Georgia as well...different in Wisconsin...

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by verobeach

. Hurricane shutters should not be left as an upgrade anywhere in Florida, especially with the attitude some of the Jax folks have that it can never happen here!

AFAIK, hurricane shutters are an upgrade right here on the Gulf at Port St Joe.
Not saying they should be, just reporting the situation as I know it.

But at least the house we are looking at on Amelia is built to hurricane code.

What Riveree says here is the impression I get when speaking to Jax folks.

No one living in Jax would be foolish enough to think our city immune to the possibility of a direct hit, but a direct hit is unlikely.

[verobeach]

Read wacahootaman and myfask.