Harvey to Irma comparisons (Houston, Galveston: condos, homes, live)

[cBach]

I was watching video from Hurricane Irma and I could see the streets of downtown Miami flood, but it appears their curbs are higher than in Houston and the buildings all have hurricane shutters. Even looking in the suburbs, the homes all have hurricane shutters. The condos in Tampa and Miami are all on higher floors with parking on lower levels.

Basically Miami and Tampa suffered very little devastation compared to Houston and Houston only got tropical storm winds while Miami and Tampa suffered hurricane force winds.

Is there more that Houston could learn from Miami?

[DabOnEm]

Originally Posted by cBach

I was watching video from Hurricane Irma and I could see the streets of downtown Miami flood, but it appears their curbs are higher than in Houston and the buildings all have hurricane shutters. Even looking in the suburbs, the homes all have hurricane shutters. The condos in Tampa and Miami are all on higher floors with parking on lower levels.

Basically Miami and Tampa suffered very little devastation compared to Houston and Houston only got tropical storm winds while Miami and Tampa suffered hurricane force winds.

Is there more that Houston could learn from Miami?

It also appears they got way less rain than Houston (like 20+ inches less rain), but don't let that super huge fact stop you.

Flooding wasn't the biggest concern with Irma (outside of storm surge). It was the WIND. Luckily Cuba severely weakened Irma before it turned north into Florida. The concern with Harvey was always flooding since it was predicted it would stall.

What Houston could learn from Miami is creating for catch basins. Miami's suburbs and outlying areas are dotted with them. Houston could do a better jobs with roads too, but that's a Florida thing (the state has very good roads compared to Texas).

[haudi]

Did we consider the speed at which Irma moved out of the area vs. Harvey? Of course not, or this wouldn't even be a question.

[DabOnEm]

Originally Posted by haudi

Did we consider the speed at which Irma moved out of the area vs. Harvey? Of course not, or this wouldn't even be a question.

It's a cbach thread. What did you expect?

[predatorprey]

For Houston

Harvey was a rain event. 50" of rain but not much wind damage.

Irma was a wind event. I think most of the flooding was from the storm surge, less so from rain.

[swopoe]

Originally Posted by predatorprey

For Houston

Harvey was a rain event. 50" of rain but it much wind damage.

Irma was a wind event. I think most of the flooding was from the storm surge, less so from rain.

Exactly. It was a completely different kind of storm. If Irma was like Harvey, Irma would still be parked over Miami today.

[Texas Ag 93]

Much of the worst damage from Irma was in Jacksonville, for whom it was similar to Harvey.....primarily a rain event due to being on the NE quadrant of the storm. I lived there for a year, and still have friends there, and from what I can gather on social media, there was a fair amount of flooding, similar to Houston (though they certainly had nowhere near the rain amounts we did). Our former next door neighbors flooded for the 2nd time in as many years, and Jax previously always had the reputation of being much less vulnerable to storms than South Florida.

That said, I think yes, there is a lot we can potentially learn from them and their building codes and general attitude towards storms. I think Hurricane prep is a bit more ingrained in FL than it is here, but that's just my opinion.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by cBach

Is there more that Houston could learn from Miami?

Move by the beach?

[shanv3]

Originally Posted by cBach

I was watching video from Hurricane Irma and I could see the streets of downtown Miami flood, but it appears their curbs are higher than in Houston and the buildings all have hurricane shutters. Even looking in the suburbs, the homes all have hurricane shutters. The condos in Tampa and Miami are all on higher floors with parking on lower levels.

Basically Miami and Tampa suffered very little devastation compared to Houston and Houston only got tropical storm winds while Miami and Tampa suffered hurricane force winds.

Is there more that Houston could learn from Miami?

Galveston fared well. So may be Miami could learn from Galveston.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by haudi

Did we consider the speed at which Irma moved out of the area vs. Harvey? Of course not, or this wouldn't even be a question.

Facts?
You are in the wrong place dude