2024 Tropical Weather Thread (14 Viewers)

US 70 in swannanoa. So many scenes like this. All of this road destruction is going to make recovery sooooooo much harder. Think about how hard it is going to be to move groceries, gas, building materials around. This is really really bad.

 
US 70 in swannanoa. So many scenes like this. All of this road destruction is going to make recovery sooooooo much harder. Think about how hard it is going to be to move groceries, gas, building materials around. This is really really bad.


It seems possible that about every nonessential road upgrade in NC (and maybe TN, too) is going to have to be put on hold to bring resources to bear on this. I'm sure they don't even have a full sense of the magnitude yet, but it's going to be huge.
 
It seems possible that about every nonessential road upgrade in NC (and maybe TN, too) is going to have to be put on hold to bring resources to bear on this. I'm sure they don't even have a full sense of the magnitude yet, but it's going to be huge.

Yeah, I don’t think much of the country realizes yet what a catastrophe this is. I just don’t see how these places are going to resupplied much less reconstructed on any kind of timeline.
 
Yeah, I don’t think much of the country realizes yet what a catastrophe this is. I just don’t see how these places are going to resupplied much less reconstructed on any kind of timeline.
My first thought for supplying essential goods was to go old school and use the waterways, but after the waters recede they probably can’t handle any moderate watercraft.

Losing the road infrastructure compounds this situation dramatically.

🥺
 
US 70 in swannanoa. So many scenes like this. All of this road destruction is going to make recovery sooooooo much harder. Think about how hard it is going to be to move groceries, gas, building materials around. This is really really bad.



That's looks like a 12/16 inch water main line.

The scale of destruction, location and resources are going to take so much time and honestly a herculean effort to get these places just "habitable" for locals.

The engineering alone to backfill all these roads and highways that sit on mountain sides is making my brain hurt. Then you add utilities to the mix and it's not something you just draw up and implement. (Safety etc )

I guess we are relatively simple living on flat land. Have to imagine living on hill/mountain sides adds levels of engineering complexity that won't get solved quickly.
 
Incredible. There is so much utility under that freeway just in that photo alone: you have fiberoptic, electrical and either a water main or a storm sewer. Probably a water main judging by the destruction.

That 12" pipe is ultimately what caused that level of failure. You can see the ground heaved around the pipe. That pipe was full and when the ground became too saturated the pressure inside exceeded the ground pressure and the line literally raises up out of the ground. It happens on new projects with poor compaction. I have never seen one come out of a road before without an earthquake. Ever. In 25 years of heavy civil construction design and execution.

They have leak and pressure detection. The line is supposed to drain itself if the pressure outside the line drops. This means that the pressure drop outside from the water was so fast that the meters and drains couldn't keep up. I can't fathom that much rain.

I am so sorry for you all having to go through this.

And sadly, the reality is this is what happens when you ignore infrastructure projects and cut budgets. Infrastructure that was stressed fails completely and utterly when the system is stressed to its extreme. Not just at the fail points. Everywhere.

That freeway will not be open for over a year minimum. This section alone I mean. I hope the damage like this is fairly localized because they would have to start over and completely rebuild the freeway from soil mass balance. That would take twice as long as it did the first time and cost three times as much.

Couple that with the other major roadways that are destroyed and the reality is, ALL major Federal infrastructure project in the country will be delayed and diverted to this area.

This will cause further delay on projects that are desperately needing to be done to avoid this very situation.

---

It isn't t much, and I live in the other side of the country, but I have an ADU that I Airbnb. If anyone has been displaced or has friends or family that has and has nowhere to go, I will pull it down from the website and give it to you all for free. For as long as you need. Even Falcons fans.

I wish I had more to offer than a 1 bedroom. But it sleeps 4 fairly comfortably. Just DM me and I we can figure it out.
 
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I'm pretty upset with myself for not going to the Carolinas. We debated on skipping the landfall to go up there.

If I left the second I got out of Cedar Key could have been there for the back half of the chaos but would have been on 72 hours without sleep. Should have powered through but trying not to do that anymore because I literally feel years coming off my life when I do.
 
I'm pretty upset with myself for not going to the Carolinas. We debated on skipping the landfall to go up there.

If I left the second I got out of Cedar Key could have been there for the back half of the chaos but would have been on 72 hours without sleep. Should have powered through but trying not to do that anymore because I literally feel years coming off my life when I do.
Don't be upset sir.

You are doing yeoman's work and truly making a difference.

You can't be everywhere at once.

Thank you for what you do.
 
Don't be upset sir.

You are doing yeoman's work and truly making a difference.

You can't be everywhere at once.

Thank you for what you do.
Thanks but I can't help being upset, it's what I do.

I just hired someone and plan was for him to be up there covering it but he got the flu and missed everything. Literally the only hurricane he's missed since 2006 and it happens the week I hired him. I still should have been there.
 
Incredible. There is so much utility under that freeway just in that photo alone: you have fiberoptic, electrical and either a water main or a storm sewer. Probably a water main judging by the destruction.

That 12" pipe is ultimately what caused that level of failure. You can see the ground heaved around the pipe. That pipe was full and when the ground became too saturated the pressure inside exceeded the ground pressure and the line literally raises up out of the ground. It happens on new projects with poor compaction. I have never seen one come out of a road before without an earthquake. Ever. In 25 years of heavy civil construction design and execution.

They have leak and pressure detection. The line is supposed to drain itself if the pressure outside the line drops. This means that the pressure drop outside from the water was so fast that the meters and drains couldn't keep up. I can't fathom that much rain.

I am so sorry for you all having to go through this.

And sadly, the reality is this is what happens when you ignore infrastructure projects and cut budgets. Infrastructure that was stressed fails completely and utterly when the system is stressed to its extreme. Not just at the fail points. Everywhere.

That freeway will not be open for over a year minimum. This section alone I mean. I hope the damage like this is fairly localized because they would have to start over and completely rebuild the freeway from soil mass balance. That would take twice as long as it did the first time and cost three times as much.

Couple that with the other major roadways that are destroyed and the reality is, ALL major Federal infrastructure project in the country will be delayed and diverted to this area.

This will cause further delay on projects that are desperately needing to be done to avoid this very situation.

---

It isn't t much, and I live in the other side of the country, but I have an ADU that I Airbnb. If anyone has been displaced or has friends or family that has and has nowhere to go, I will pull it down from the website and give it to you all for free. For as long as you need. Even Falcons fans.

I wish I had more to offer than a 1 bedroom. But it sleeps 4 fairly comfortably. Just DM me and I we can figure it out.
It’s the folks like you that make the rebuilding possible, not the government but civilians coming together helping/giving.
 
I'm pretty upset with myself for not going to the Carolinas. We debated on skipping the landfall to go up there.

If I left the second I got out of Cedar Key could have been there for the back half of the chaos but would have been on 72 hours without sleep. Should have powered through but trying not to do that anymore because I literally feel years coming off my life when I do.
Perhaps you get your chance next week? There is one getting ready to form and go the same path?
 

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