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IRENE and HYPE

by seasoned
16 replies
  • OFF TOPIC
    • |
OK, FIRST, let me say I have not been within several hundred miles of the area affected. I KNOW most were NOT affected. THAT was a GIVEN, despite what ANYONE says! Until that storm grows far larger and more invulnerable, and we would then have to create a new category, it just won't affect people past a certain point. Of course, the SAME was true of katrina also!

SUPPOSEDLY several financial places got flooded with like a foot of water, but they said it would likely be cleared up today. GOOD THING TOO!!!!! Had one been shut down, the market probably would have been closed today because, had it been open, the dow jones probably would have FELL $2000!!!!!!!!! Well, I guess they cleared it up! Not only was the area open, and the market was open, but the market was UP, $254.71! Supposedly, people's basements were flooded. Many basements may have poorly designed sumps though. 8-(

Several here are talking about hyped reports. I heard about another with people jogging, and one mooned the camera and turned around for a full frontal. I wonder if his name was oscar meyer! 8-/ SO, what do YOU think? HYPED, or real to a degree?

And SOME say americans are becoming wusses. Give me a break. An earthquake <5, and people are SCARED?

Steve
  • Profile picture of the author Sunfyre7896
    Most of the time, they overhype storms and what they're damage is going to be. Like the earthquake last week and now Irene. They spend all day on CNN covering waves that look like a surfer's dream, but not anything out of control and show the "damage," which usually consists of some wooden beach structures that were demolished or some docks and piers that washed away.

    However, I used to work for the insurance industry doing catastrophe adjusting and I can say, that the hype is definitely more overplayed than really should be in most cases. I worked both Katrina and Wilma in 2005. Wilma hit land as a Category One hurricane and unless you were on the right side of the eye wall, there was slight damage. Some blown over pool screen enclosures and tiles knocked off their tile roofs (they're everywhere), and fences and trees/plants blown down. Not much by way of actual damage to the house.

    Now Katrina was devastating and not depending on where you were. New Orleans gets all of the credit because of the lack of logistics and response. Also, almost all of the damage was because the levee broke. This was about to break anyway as many engineers stated on record that it was structurally unsound and needed improvements but that didn't make the mainstream news. I heard it from engineers mouths and others in the area. It was a budget thing.

    As for Mississippi, which took the brunt of the damage, it was a different story. Pascagoula, by the Alabama border took the least damage and people within a mile or two inland got about up to 2 or 3 feet of water in their homes. As you went West, the damage increased significantly. Gulfport and Biloxi saw people with 8 feet of water in their homes and 6 feet all the way to I-10. Certain places like Waveland were wiped off the map and Bay St. Louise had areas where the surge was 30 to 40 feet high that washed up to I-10 (not 30 feet at I-10, but about 10 feet for a time that washed over the interstate and over to the other side. It was shut down for a time. Beach houses were either slabs or there was complete rubble. Huge ships that were being repaired and gigantic casino barges were moved miles either inland or down shore. More inland and in other areas, houses on 10 foot stilts were underwater for hours and totaled. A really bad part of it was that everyone with damage was supposed to get a FEMA trailer to live in, yet people living in their houses with a/c and electricity and water were demanding their trailers while people lived in tents in their front yards because it was "owed" to them. Human nature in a crisis at its finest. Without the Red Cross and the National Guard for a month, people were completely screwed. There wasn't water or power for at least 2 weeks and longer in many areas. It didn't make the news because it wasn't as racial and political as New Orleans. As for 100's of miles inland, no, mostly it was heavy rains, but this was the most damage by a hurricane for over a decade. But just showing that this was the one exception. Huge financial losses for Katrina, but most don't do as much as they say.

    They're always talking about how a tornado caused multi-millions of dollars in damage when only like 8 to 10 houses get damaged. I guess it's like how a toilet seat and screws on the space shuttle cost thousands of dollars. Have to make it look good for the media and the people.
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    • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
      All I know is that I've seen worse rain storms than this one. But some areas
      did get hit very hard and many people died, so to be fair, overall the whole
      Irene thing was blown out of proportion but for some people, it wasn't blown
      enough.

      It really comes down to where you were.

      As for earthquakes, in some areas, a 5.9, which I think is what the one in
      Virginia was, would bring buildings down because they're not made to withstand
      that kind of shaking. Look at the Washington Monument. They had to close it
      because there are cracks in the structure.

      Everything is relative Steve.

      I learned that a long time ago.
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      • Profile picture of the author seasoned
        Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

        All I know is that I've seen worse rain storms than this one. But some areas
        did get hit very hard and many people died, so to be fair, overall the whole
        Irene thing was blown out of proportion but for some people, it wasn't blown
        enough.

        It really comes down to where you were.

        As for earthquakes, in some areas, a 5.9, which I think is what the one in
        Virginia was, would bring buildings down because they're not made to withstand
        that kind of shaking. Look at the Washington Monument. They had to close it
        because there are cracks in the structure.

        Everything is relative Steve.

        I learned that a long time ago.
        Well, the washington monument was built a long time ago. But MOST codes relating to this are simple, and don't add THAT much to th cost. It is hard to believe they weren't upgraded EVERYWHERE. 5.9 IS small! The ones I felt in IOWA were probably over that, and THEY weren't earthquakes!

        Steve
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    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by Sunfyre7896 View Post

      Most of the time, they overhype storms and what they're damage is going to be.
      They HAVE to, and that is appreciated. I am talking about hype concerning what damage WAS done!

      the earthquake last week and now Irene. They spend all day on CNN covering waves that look like a surfer's dream, but not anything out of control and show the "damage," which usually consists of some wooden beach structures that were demolished or some docks and piers that washed away.

      However, I used to work for the insurance industry doing catastrophe adjusting and I can say, that the hype is definitely more overplayed than really should be in most cases. I worked both Katrina and Wilma in 2005. Wilma hit land as a Category One hurricane and unless you were on the right side of the eye wall, there was slight damage. Some blown over pool screen enclosures and tiles knocked off their tile roofs (they're everywhere), and fences and trees/plants blown down. Not much by way of actual damage to the house.

      Now Katrina was devastating and not depending on where you were. New Orleans gets all of the credit because of the lack of logistics and response. Also, almost all of the damage was because the levee broke. This was about to break anyway as many engineers stated on record that it was structurally unsound and needed improvements but that didn't make the mainstream news. I heard it from engineers mouths and others in the area. It was a budget thing.

      As for Mississippi, which took the brunt of the damage, it was a different story. Pascagoula, by the Alabama border took the least damage and people within a mile or two inland got about up to 2 or 3 feet of water in their homes. As you went West, the damage increased significantly. Gulfport and Biloxi saw people with 8 feet of water in their homes and 6 feet all the way to I-10. Certain places like Waveland were wiped off the map and Bay St. Louise had areas where the surge was 30 to 40 feet high that washed up to I-10 (not 30 feet at I-10, but about 10 feet for a time that washed over the interstate and over to the other side. It was shut down for a time. Beach houses were either slabs or there was complete rubble. Huge ships that were being repaired and gigantic casino barges were moved miles either inland or down shore. More inland and in other areas, houses on 10 foot stilts were underwater for hours and totaled. A really bad part of it was that everyone with damage was supposed to get a FEMA trailer to live in, yet people living in their houses with a/c and electricity and water were demanding their trailers while people lived in tents in their front yards because it was "owed" to them. Human nature in a crisis at its finest. Without the Red Cross and the National Guard for a month, people were completely screwed. There wasn't water or power for at least 2 weeks and longer in many areas. It didn't make the news because it wasn't as racial and political as New Orleans. As for 100's of miles inland, no, mostly it was heavy rains, but this was the most damage by a hurricane for over a decade. But just showing that this was the one exception. Huge financial losses for Katrina, but most don't do as much as they say.

      They're always talking about how a tornado caused multi-millions of dollars in damage when only like 8 to 10 houses get damaged. I guess it's like how a toilet seat and screws on the space shuttle cost thousands of dollars. Have to make it look good for the media and the people.
      Well, if ten homes in the US, that are of average value, get demolished, it IS about $3million worth of damage. Good old inflation!

      And people LAUGH at the expensive tools, etc... In will smith's movie "independence day", the president asks something like "HOW did they get the money to pay for this?"? The father says something like "Well you don't REALLY think they pay $20,000 for a hammer, DO YOU?"! Obviusly, the implication is they pad the cost for something ELSE!

      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author MoneyMagnetMagnate
    Two of your insurance company's favorite words:

    Force Majeure
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    • Profile picture of the author lyndal
      Yep, the worst things that happened here in NJ were a temporary power outage, a downed tree sitting on electrical wires shorting out a transformer (not to our house), and some localized flooding in small patches.
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  • Profile picture of the author PatrickP
    1. Almost every business acts in the same manner. Hype up the product so you can sell more.

    2. TV stations are businesses first last and always.

    See rule #1
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  • Profile picture of the author theory expert
    Banned
    my power is out right as we speak....
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      The hype was the Northeast reports. There was significant damage in North Carolina and perhaps other areas where the storm first made landfall. 27 deaths attributed to Irene so far.

      What caused news anchors to gnash their teeth was the lack of major damage to report mainly in highly populated D.C. and New York - a little wind - a little water was pretty much the extent.

      It seems like hype after the fact but the computer models showed the storm had a potential path that could take it back out over warm water after the first landfall. Had that happened, the stories might have been much worse in the north.

      With earthquakes and tornadoes you have no chance to get out of the way - with a hurricane heading toward you...it's pretty stupid not to take precautions. If the worst doesn't happen, some people will always say "I told you so" and the media will try desperately to find a story.
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      • Profile picture of the author ThomM
        Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

        The hype was the Northeast reports. There was significant damage in North Carolina and perhaps other areas where the storm first made landfall. 27 deaths attributed to Irene so far.

        What caused news anchors to gnash their teeth was the lack of major damage to report mainly in highly populated D.C. and New York - a little wind - a little water was pretty much the extent.

        It seems like hype after the fact but the computer models showed the storm had a potential path that could take it back out over warm water after the first landfall. Had that happened, the stories might have been much worse in the north.

        With earthquakes and tornadoes you have no chance to get out of the way - with a hurricane heading toward you...it's pretty stupid not to take precautions. If the worst doesn't happen, some people will always say "I told you so" and the media will try desperately to find a story.
        It's real good for us in upstate NY and Vermont that it was mostly hype.
        We have 3 dead here by me and still countless missing. Many towns are still under water and just this morning they evacuated a couple ares in Troy
        Vermont is almost gone, bridges, roads, and whole towns still under feet of water. The death toll there as of this morning is at 40.
        So maybe it was hype for Jersey and NYC, but up here and in Vermont it was the most devastating storm we have had in over 100 years.

        EDIT That's 40 deaths for the storm not just Vermont.
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  • Profile picture of the author iidesu
    better safe than sorry,right?
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  • Profile picture of the author hardraysnight
    According to Google, I live 14,244 kms from New York City. Why is the lead story on my tv news about a cyclone? My radio went from the Small faces to a cyclone. I am confined to CDs.

    There are many cyclones , but this one is being rammed down my throat. I trust the next cyclone in the Phillipines get the same media coverage and coverage on this forum

    Boring boring boring
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  • Profile picture of the author PatrickP
    Because NY is the capital of the world.
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    • Profile picture of the author ThomM
      Here's a current pick of the Cohoes Falls on the Mohawk River.
      Normally the falls are approx. 125 ft. tall. As of today they are a little more then 50 ft. tall.
      Cohoes Falls
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    • Profile picture of the author hardraysnight
      Originally Posted by PatrickP View Post

      Because NY is the capital of the world.
      not according to google, or is it wrong again?
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      • Profile picture of the author seasoned
        Originally Posted by oncewerewarriors View Post

        not according to google, or is it wrong again?
        Well, the UN, many banks, US dollar, many US securities headquarters ARE there.
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