Hurricane Patricia

[MichaelB]

Hope all the folks in her path have found safe ground and can stay out of harms way.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Should be an interesting F1 race in Austin this weekend

 

[Car-Guy]

I just heard about this storm this morning. According to what I read, at this time, it's 200mph sustained winds and 245mph in gust. That's some wind. I've seen (been in) ~110 substained and ~125 gust hurricane winds. Can't imagine the strength of over 200mph winds.

 

[timo2]

Not a good time for a cruise along the Mexican Riviera?

edit: I see that Patricia is headed for Puerto Vallarta. I did visit there about 3 years ago, which was about 10 years after Hurricane Kenna hit Puerto Vallarta. There were many places the area that still had not recovered form Hurricane Kenna, So this new storm could be terrible for Puerto Vallarta.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Wow. Just wow.

Hurricane Patricia: Powerful storm menaces Mexico - CNN.com

 

[RetiredGypsy]

Here's a live feed:

 

[frayne]

Not a mechanical engineer by any stretch of the imagination but I would think the wind loading on any wood structure would be very bad news. I also would think wind loading any block structure not reinforced with concrete and rebar might not fair well either.

Hope it dissipates rapid once it hits shore.

 

[Meadbh]

Not a mechanical engineer by any stretch of the imagination but I would think the wind loading on any wood structure would be very bad news. I also would think wind loading any any block structure not reinforced with concrete and rebar might not fair well either.

Hope it dissipates rapid once it hits shore.

Last winter I vacationed in Nuevo Vallarta at the Grand Mayan resort. The original Grand Mayan building was close to the beach but some years ago they knocked it and built a new one further inland, for better hurricane proofing. The original building location became the site of a magnificent swimming pool. Having seen the effects of Hurricane Wilma on the beaches in Cancun, I can only imagine the devastation that is coming to this beautiful spot. So many lives and livelihoods are in danger.

 

[Walt34]

Winds of 200+mph make me think of the 1955 atomic bomb test film of buildings being knocked down by the blast wind. It starts 7 seconds in. The wooden structure seems to almost explode.

 

[Big_Hitter]

remember what Ike did to the Bolivar Peninsula in 2008?


Ike was a cat 1.

 

[frayne]

Winds of 200+mph make me think of the 1955 atomic bomb test film of buildings being knocked down by the blast wind. It starts 7 seconds in. The wooden structure seems to almost explode.

Impressive video but think sustained 200mph+ winds.

 

[MichaelB]

This has all the indications of a very nasty storm, and it's relatively late development means many will not have had time to prepare. It's path currently leads it straight into Puerto Vallarta, an area with lots of people and also many tourists.

 

[BBQ-Nut]

Not to mention the devastating storm surge, w/ 35+ waves being pushed ahead.


You do not want to be along the coast or low lying areas. One weather report likened it to tsunami like effects.

 

[Bikerdude]

I just heard about this storm this morning. According to what I read, at this time, it's 200mph sustained winds and 245mph in gust. That's some wind. I've seen (been in) ~110 substained and ~125 gust hurricane winds. Can't imagine the strength of over 200mph winds.

I believe its equal to a F5 tornado.

 

[Car-Guy]

remember what Ike did to the Bolivar Peninsula in 2008?


Ike was a cat 1.

Yes I remember it very well. It was a strong Cat 2 (110mph) when it hit the Galveston Bay area. My primary home at the time was located less than 50 miles from Galveston and I recall the path of the eye passed within 10 to 20 miles of my house as it moved inland.

 

[MichaelB]

I just heard about this storm this morning. According to what I read, at this time, it's 200mph sustained winds and 245mph in gust. That's some wind. I've seen (been in) ~110 substained and ~125 gust hurricane winds. Can't imagine the strength of over 200mph winds.

Wilma was clocked at around 125mph. It passed directly overhead and tore one of the shutters off the side of our house. Corrugated steel held in place with 6 4" bolts.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Yes I remember it very well. It was a strong Cat 2 (110mph) when it hit the Galveston Bay area. My primary home at the time was located less than 50 miles from Galveston and I recall the path of the eye passed within 10 to 20 miles of my house as it moved inland.

I hate hurricanes

 

[Car-Guy]

Wilma was clocked at around 125mph. It passed directly overhead and tore one of the shutters off the side of our house. Corrugated steel held in place with 6 4" bolts.

I watched all the damage that IKE caused on TV but what shocked me the most was when I finally was able to drive back into Galveston a few weeks later was to see the Balinese Room was completely gone. (not torn apart, it was gone.) Built and opened in the 1920's it was a very interesting part of Texas history and it had survived a lot of other storms/hurricanes.

 

[ERD50]

I just heard about this storm this morning. According to what I read, at this time, it's 200mph sustained winds and 245mph in gust. That's some wind. I've seen (been in) ~110 substained and ~125 gust hurricane winds. Can't imagine the strength of over 200mph winds.

I believe its equal to a F5 tornado.

Between an F3 and an F4:

The Tornado Scale | Tornado Facts

I've seen what a tornado can do. I've always thought that the kind of hurricane resistant building steps they now do in a hurricane zone make sense for ~ 100 mph winds, but when you get up to 200 mph, I don't think a few added roof joist brackets and such are going to make a difference.

Tornadoes pretty much tear up everything in their path. But a tornado has a relatively narrow path. I've seen houses leveled, and a house two doors down has just minor damage. A hurricane cuts a wide, wide path.

This sounds bad, very very bad

-ERD50

 

[Big_Hitter]

I watched all the damage that IKE caused on TV but what shocked me the most was when I finally was able to drive back into Galveston a few weeks later was to see the Balinese Room was completely gone. (not torn apart, it was gone.) Built and opened in the 1920's it was a very interesting part of Texas history.

oh yeah that thing just went straight out to sea - rumor is that the reason they built it so far out into the water was so they could turn over the gambling tables before the TX rangers could make it to the front door

the flagship hotel got beat up pretty good too

 

[MichaelB]

I watched all the damage that IKE caused on TV but what shocked me the most was when I finally was able to drive back into Galveston a few weeks later was to see the Balinese Room was completely gone. (not torn apart, it was gone.) Built and opened in the 1920's it was a very interesting part of Texas history.

I totally get that. TV images cannot portray the depth or extent of destruction.

 

[Car-Guy]

oh yeah that thing just went straight out to sea - rumor is that the reason they built it so far out into the water was so they could turn over the gambling tables before the TX rangers could make it to the front door

I believe, that's a true story (about hiding the gaming tables). I still have a couple of casino chips that came from the Balinese Room and I know someone who worked there. For those not as familiar with Texas, when he says Texas Rangers, he's not talking about a baseball team.

 

[Bikerdude]

This gives an idea of what different winds can do. Chilling.

 

[ERD50]

This gives an idea of what different winds can do. Chilling.

Whoah! And there isn't anything left to destroy after they get to 156 mph, and they are predicting 200 mph, with higher gusts?

-ERD50

 

[tfudtuckerpucker]

Here's a live web cam at La Manzanilla. I've been watching the storm surge come in.
La Manzanilla Beach cam