Monster Hurricane

[kodydog]

Who's ready for a party?

[SteveA]

This will be a rough one for those near the coast.  My neighbors daughter lived in Homestead during Andrew and when she came home following the storm there was only a slab. I believe the construction today is a lot better -  Stay safe all in harms way -
SA

[gene]

Homestead was a disaster waiting to happen. Studs 48" to 60" on center. No tie downs on rafters as required by law. Many houses with no required insulation in walls. No tie downs to concrete floor. I don't think there was any house in Homestead that came close to being up to code.

[kodydog]

Hurricane Andrew was a powerful hurricane. A lot of those homes that were destroyed were substandard mobile homes built pre 80's. After Andrew Florida went to a state wide building code. Funny thing is each county interprets the code differently. The codes used for the shop we built in Suwannee county were much different than the codes used for our shop in Alachuia county.

The single wide we bought in St Augustine was built in 1972. I have no idea what the wind load is. If any. Or how it is anchored to the ground. No insurance company would insure a mobile home that old. I don't place much value on the building itself and if we decide to move there someday we would likely demolish it and build a site built home.

Now it looks like the storm is going to take a northward turn and that puts our mobile home directly in its path. I am encouraged by the fact that this 47 year old trailer house has weathered many other storms.