Sandbags were once the go-to for flood protection and water barriers, but in recent years, more and more studies have found this method to be a dangerous and out-dated one. We’ve noted this in a previous article but below is a more exhaustive in-depth list of the various concerns that come along with the use of sandbags for preventing floodwaters from reaching your home.
It takes 2 people to properly fill a sandbag for use. On average, one hour of work yields only a dozen or so bags. It is recommended that you have multiple changes of sandbags for any emergency situation, as they have to be rotated out regularly. Each sandbag weighs approximately 30lbs when filled. This makes using sandbags both highly labor intensive and time consuming.
September is the apex month for hurricanes, though hurricane season begins in June and ends in November, with May being the least likely to produce storms that will develop into hurricanes. There are many classifications of storms that potentially develop into hurricanes with different categories of these storms. The whole process is studied by meteorologists who are trained extensively in predicting the development and potential hazards of these weather occurrences.
This 2018 season is coming upon it’s pinnacle for hurricanes and the tropical storm season is building and showing signs of life with a tropical wave coming from Africa on this upcoming Labor Day weekend. Texans are anticipating downpours, but no signs of tropical development nearby is anticipated as of yet.
Hurricane Hector, located in the Pacific Ocean, south of Big Island in Hawaii was classified as a category 3 hurricane, according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. High surf and windy conditions resulted on Big Island accompanied by occasional periods of rain. Hector was classified as a category 3 on Wednesday, and maintains its intensity, a total of over seven full and consecutive days, nearly eight- making it the longest sustained category 3 hurricane in the Pacific Basin on record. 1984’s hurricane Norbert is now in second place (at seven days) to Hector’s uninterrupted strength. Additionally, Hector has generated the most Accumulated Cyclone Energy (also known as ACE) of any northeastern Pacific hurricane since 1999’s Hurricane Dora. The value of the ACE is calculated by adding its wind speed throughout its life cycle. Tropical Storm Debby has now officially become the fourth named storm in the Atlantic Ocean (Subtropical Storm Alberto, Hurricane Beryl, and Hurricane Chris were the predecessors) . The creation of this storm is an impressive two weeks ahead of schedule according to the predictions. Though the lifespan of Debby didn’t last long, it’s noteworthy due to the fact that it developed so much earlier in the season than predicted. And finally, there are four notable storms located in the eastern half of the Pacific Ocean simultaneously. These storms stretched from near Mexico’s Pacific coast to several hundred miles east of Hawaii.
Eleven states ranging from Georgia to Vermont face flash flood warnings and watches, affecting 24 million people, thanks to dangerous storms that are moving along the eastern coast of the U.S. and residents in Lynchburg, VA are definitely facing their own trials today in light of this weather.
College Lake Dam in Lynchburg is filled to over-capacity, thanks to heavy rainfall of 6+ inches in just 24 hours time. Since June 1st this year, there has been exceptional levels of rain that brings the year-to-date number to 37 inches of precipitation, which is over a foot above the average y-t-d readings.
We’ve discussed the “3-D’s” of in-water construction, repairs, and inspection before, but we’d like to give you a slightly more in-depth explanation on this subject. There is a difference and each job requires different solutions in order to safely, accurately, and punctually get the job done.
De-Watering is also known as un-watering and it is great for controlling the submerged area of construction and providing a drier work environment. Ground or surface water is typically drained from one section and relocated temporarily to another until such a time as dryness is no longer needed, then it can be restored. When the unnecessary water is restored to its original location, it’s as if no disruption had ever happened, and that’s part of the beauty of using this technique.
Peak Hurricane Season Expectations 2018