Hurricane Harvey

[Rhondazvous]

Oh man, I just found out the company that hosts my website is in trouble because they're based in Houston. the sites are still up, but they're not logging my traffic correctly and they can't answer the phone. Maybe it's time for me to switch to another company, but how do I terminate auto withdrawal when I can't contact them? I'm downloading all my files to my hard drive so I'll have updated files ready to upload to a new server when I find one.

I don't want to wait it out because that water isn't going anywhere any time soon. We might have to get used to having a southern great lake now. with all the filth and dead things floating around there will be a miasma for miles.

[Fireball]

What, like this?




YES.





People underestimate the power of water.

Think of it this way: If you're inside a car that's surrounded by water up to the windows while the interior of the car is (relatively) dry, you'll have a hell of a time pushing the door open to escape because of the pressure differential between the interior and exterior of the car door.  BUT if you allow the car interior to flood, you equalize the pressure on both sides of the door and you'll be able to open the door to get out.  And that's not even talking about whether the car has been physically picked up by the floodwaters and washed away while you're trying to escape.

A house completely sealed off from flood water intrusion would have a similar principle going on: completely sealing it off from water intrusion means the pressure exerted by the water outside can build up until the structural components holding the house to its foundation fail and the house can be washed away.  If water is allowed in it can reduce the pressure on those structural components and reduce the risk of the house being completely lost.  The pressures we're talking about, though, have a lot to do with how strong a current there is and that can vary.  Houses nearer to rivers, creeks, aquaducts, spillways and the like are at a higher risk than those further away where the currents would be weaker.


Remember, though, that dams are specifically engineered to resist the hydrostatic pressure of the water they are holding in their reservoirs.  Houses aren't built like that.  Houses are engineered with static loads in mind and where dynamic loads are considered it's usually wind and earthquakes that drive the design load, not water.  I have never heard of a developer who built a neighborhood where they engineered all the houses to resist being torn from their foundations by floodwaters.


It's a thing, but retrofitting a house to be flood-proof is difficult and expensive.  It's much easier to board up a house to prevent wind/debris damage than it is to prevent 3+ feet of water flooding you out.

Large wooden sailing ships were able to withstand the stresses of storms at sea without too many ill effects so why can't houses in known flood areas withstand flood waters? Maybe it's because no one has ever built houses with that problem in mind?

Wooden ships are shells of wood and have their gaps filled with caulking, usually tar, and the wood is pushed together by the water pressure, which helps the tar seal them. Wood framing of a house where the studs are typically 16 inches on center isn't even close to a near-continuous wall of wood like would be in a wooden ship's hull. A residential house is quite far from a ship, in terms of construction.

[vorlon13]

A local telemarketing building is built in the flood plain, and was designed to be water tight (if the doors were sandbagged) up to the bottoms of the windows. The first 3 feet, or so, of the structure is poured concrete, and heavily reinforced with steel rebar. A 'stick built' house is grossly less sturdy.

[Seraphina]

Oh man, I just found out the company that hosts my website is in trouble because they're based in Houston. the sites are still up, but they're not logging my traffic correctly and they can't answer the phone.  Maybe it's time for me to switch to another company, but how do I terminate auto withdrawal when I can't contact them? I'm downloading all my files to my hard drive so I'll have updated files ready to upload to a new server when I find one.

I don't want to wait it out because that water isn't going anywhere any time soon.  We might have to get used to having a southern great lake now. with all the filth and dead things floating around there will be a miasma for miles.

That's a bummer, I wonder what other customers are doing. Does your website's host have their own dedicated website with updates on their situation?

-Teresa

[Minimalist]

This was only a matter of time.

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/09/send-pra...om-canada/

‘Send prayers’: Texas Republican turns down donated blankets, beds, manpower from Canada

Secretary of State Rolando Pablos (R-TX), they don’t need any help. As Patheos captured, they just need a little more Jesus.
Quebec’s Minister of International Relations Christine St-Pierre called Pablos to express his sorrow and condolences on behalf of the people of the Canadian province. He also offered equipment and manpower.
Pablos turned it down. Instead he asked for “prayers from the people of Quebec,” the minister relayed.

Fuck jesus, you douchebag.  Jesus ain't doing shit.

[brewer]

How long is mosquito season in Tx/La?

[Brian37]

How long is mosquito season in Tx/La?

I don't know but the orange mosquito is trying to slap lipstick on a pig by trying a do over.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

"Large wooden sailing ships were able to withstand the stresses of storms at sea without too many ill effects so why can't houses in known flood areas withstand flood waters? Maybe it's because no one has ever built houses with that problem in mind?"

Completely different structures. Large ships are braced six ways from Sunday, the timbers are heavier, and the crew actively works to keep the water out. That last is a never ending battle. A house is lightly built structure designed to keep the rain and snow out and control the climate inside.

And, of course, ships will sink in a storm, a not unheard of event.

[mlmooney89]

How long is mosquito season in Tx/La?

Near the coast? All year lol

No but I would say around now is when it starts because I'm getting eaten alive. Usually it's a little later in September but because of the hurricane it's cooler than it normally is. It's in the low 90's whereas last year the middle of September was still mid to high 90's. Then they go away from November until about the end of February since March is warm enough for them again. Usually around June it's too hot for them.

[Rhondazvous]

Oh man, I just found out the company that hosts my website is in trouble because they're based in Houston. the sites are still up, but they're not logging my traffic correctly and they can't answer the phone.  Maybe it's time for me to switch to another company, but how do I terminate auto withdrawal when I can't contact them? I'm downloading all my files to my hard drive so I'll have updated files ready to upload to a new server when I find one.

I don't want to wait it out because that water isn't going anywhere any time soon.  We might have to get used to having a southern great lake now. with all the filth and dead things floating around there will be a miasma for miles.

That's a bummer, I wonder what other customers are doing. Does your website's host have their own dedicated website with updates on their situation?

-Teresa

Yes, the phone message gives a url to go to for updates, but she reads through it so fast, I can't understand all of the url, though I've replayed it several times. There's nothing about it on the main page. So, yeah, it's a bummer.