It depends on who you talk to. Many experts think the official death toll is too low due to the large population of African Americans on the island who were not well accounted for in those days, and of course the ubiquitous undocumented Mexican populations so much always a part of Texas. At the time, the whole island was covered with cotton warehouses where these people worked, and many people at the lower end of the scale lived in shanties around these, and they came from miles around to what was then the boomtown of the South. Galveston was also a disembarkment point for many European immigrants as well in those days. In any case, Galveston went from being one of the largest cities in America at that time to what it is today, a depressed village of around 50,000 people, in the space of a few months. The entire island was covered with about eight or nine feet of water. Its aftermath was also devastating to the area, as mosquito -borne diseases and cholera from rotting human and animal carcasses took its toll as well for several months after. As a result, businesses and populations moved inland about 40 miles, to a little town on the bayou called Houston. I may be on the high end of the scale, but I also eat in old resturants in Galveston where you can still see the stains of the high water mark just slightly below the tops of the first floor ceiling. Its amazing anyone lived thru it. Seeing the evidence and knowing how little a non-white or immigrant's life was valued in those days, I tend to support those who believe the death toll was much higher than that of the official record of those times. You'll find estimates that range from a low of 6,000 to a high of 12,000:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_toll

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/huricane/history/whtexas.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/huricane/history/wgalves.htm

The Houston Chronicle did a big writeup on it a little while back that made a good case for the higher figure. I'll try to see if I can dig it up on the web. The anniversy is in a few days, they may re-run it.

Some people are so ignorant in putting masking tape on windows... IGNORANT... argghhh oh, wait, my girlfreind is one of those Thinking of putting masking tape... I give up.... Some people have no idea having never been through hurricanes...

I am as ready as I am ... got my video PS 2 games (hopefully will have power, lol), my laptop, in case no pwer.... Rum, Sambuca, ice, champagne, vodka.... yeap , I am set... oh yeah, got water, canned food, etc.

I gotta find somewhere to park my car, as my parking spot is smack on the water (big lake) ....

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1995 E320 smoke silver / parchment

Just got thru watching the Weather Channel. They now rate it as the 4th most powerful in the last 100 years, many times more powerful than Charlie and twice as powerful as Andrew, the last big one. They now expect it to hit central Florida, in the same area Charlie hit. Be careful, man.

Well, we Edmontonians may have 5 months of cold weather, but we have a minor tornado every 50 years or so, and that's about it. Weather rarely kills anyone here. I'll take the snow over a hurricane, thanks.

What are building codes like? Were they relaxed to allow lower cost of building? I could see that, but sheesh, if you could buy insurance, it would probably be expensive. What is the cost of losing your home compared to building it "hurricane proof" in the first place? Would be interesting to figure out.

In the far north we had to deal with extreme weather. Extreme cold and hurricane force winds. People quickly learned to build to suit the conditions. We had to deal with permafrost and all material had to be transported from great distances. It really jacked up the cost of construction. Building a house on stilts (pilings driven into permafrost) made it tricky to build to withstand winds, but it was done. This was in 1970.

Now, we can get all nuts about broken houses, but the real concern is people dying. From what I have seen, evacuation is almost impossible in some areas thanks to roads becoming gridlocked. Maybe there is a way to provide assitance to people to build stronger houses (that would provide SAFE refuge) in areas where the weather is most likely to hit and evacuation is difficult? It seems that Florida and some other seaboard states are going to have to come up with something. This must be taking a tremdous toll on the people in these areas. Personally, I don't know how they do it. When I'm deep in the backcountry, I'm never afraid of animals. It's weather that can do you in.

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John Shellenberg
1998 C230 "Black Betty" 240K

http://img31.exs.cx/img31/4050/tophat6.gif

The problem with building codes designed to force the construction of tornado or hurricane-proof homes, is that the cost of those homes would be prohibitively expensive.

Consider the odds of experiencing one or more of the above "acts of God"...how many people have been through more than one tornado or hurricane, much less while in the same residence?

As such, the forces of nature are far too great to build a cost-effective weatherproof home...it's still possible to build one that is weather resistant, but even then, your home would sustain so much damage, that the insurance adjuster would probably total it anyway...

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

:p HOpefully, we will get mega spared in S FL..... Its kinda a lazy day , just been hanging out all day, next time I will procastinate some things , LOL..

Wonder if the titty bars will open tonight? LOL, hopefully some bars will open in miami....

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1995 E320 smoke silver / parchment

Well, if you are going to ride out a hurricane, it would be awful if you got stranded in a titty bar with a bunch of strippers, who would be grateful for whatever you did to protect and save them. Are you sure you want to take on an awesome responsibility like that? You could also end up compromising your morals, a chance I would shudder to take. Even considering the situation makes my hair stand on end, hair being used in a metaphorical kind of a way.

Here's an excellent source for info on tropical systems. Funny, its in Maine.

http://www.crownweather.com/tropical.html

Bot

A few years back, before this huge real estate explosion, there was(and probably still is) a small home builder who was building "hurricane proof" houses.

If I am not mistaken, the average price of a home rose by about 25%.

Poured concrete, accordion shuttes, the works.

I know he sold a bunch of them down in the South Dade area.

The pre Andrew construction was hideous as the buiding code was manipulated by zoning boards, to suit the deep-pocketed developers.

" We are going to build 6 communities down, there, cheap, but we can only build houses cheap if we can do away with a few things, like nails,......

All of the post hurricane Andrew homes come with shutters, hurricane straps, etc....

Hurricane Andrew cost insures appx 30 billion. I always said that if it hit more North, say downtown Miami, Ft Lauderdale, it would have been much, much worse.

In terms of monetary damages, this one will leave Andrew in a very distant 2nd place.

Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Jupiter.... lots of big money homes and condos there, not to mention the industrial, commercial parks that have sprouted up all over the place in that area.

It's a bittersweet experience having it miss you(we hope) and seeing the devastation it will leave elsewhere.

If it continues on it's current path, it will hit those Central Floridians again.......

That's the price we pay for living in Paradise I guess.

The lines at gas stations were and still are, literally 3 blocks long in some spots.

Supermarkets, home depots, are packed beyond belief.

The funny thing is that most of the stuff not used from home depot will be returned. They have a very relaxed return policy for hurricane related items. Can't return cut or drilled plywood. Anyhing else goes.

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Enough about me, how are you doing?

Anyone have any ideas on how to calm down a very excitable chocolate labrador?

My brother--in-law has one that goes nuts when he hears thunder, and we will be getting quite a bit of it tomorrow.

I mean he goes friggin berserk.....

7 people, 2 dogs, one crazy, in one house during a hurricane...****...I should drive to Key West, although it will be hard to find a\enough open gas stations.

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Enough about me, how are you doing?

[QUOTE=Plantman]Anyone have any ideas on how to calm down a very excitable chocolate labrador?

Doggie tranquilizers. Get them from your veterinarian.

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N. Hodges
1994 S350
1987 300 SDL (for sale)

[QUOTE=nhodges]I think I may be out of time for a vet, but I will surely try tomorrow morning if any are open.

Thanks

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Enough about me, how are you doing?

Here is the current projected path according to NOAA.

Of course this could change.

I live in that littel squiggly area down South.

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Enough about me, how are you doing?

I fixed it. Now you can see my general area, for any of you'll all interested. I live arounds that littel green circle near the lower part of the state.

We have a few forum members. that are in the direct path, so be safe.

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Enough about me, how are you doing?

Well...they said its just going to be a wet hurricane with wind .... I am still parked next to the water .... so hopefully my car won't be washed away.... Its getting kinda boring, been stuck inside since yeasterday, atleast we still have power and phone lines, etc.. oh well.... not much to say, i guess, hopefully everyone fares well.


Going to surf to ebay and drool over some S500's for sale or E320's... LOL

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1995 E320 smoke silver / parchment