I actually watched Dancing With The Stars last night (just a few minutes of it) just to catch a breather from the 24/7 media coverage of the storm damage in Moore.
Thought I'd share a couple of pics:
Ever seen a truss span sheared from its piers?
What strikes me as the most amazing is the span actually bowed in the middle prior to the bearing attachments shearing.
Took me a while to recognize it, but I took a crew out late one afternoon a month or so ago to pin this lot (favor for an old client). I was cussing the 6' wood fences that were right on top of the pins...guess they're not there anymore.
On a brighter note, the body count is much lower than originally estimated. Always a good thing.
Now, let's get some wood in the ground and get back to norbal.
The disappointing thing with much of what was reported was the insensitive approach to the victims. Sadly, it happens in all the big stories of tragedy. The worst last night was the teacher in her hospital bed who could only move her head a little bit due to neck and spine injuries in addition to cuts and abrasions all over her body. Several of her students were among the fatalities. The ignorant reporter kept asking the most inane questions and pretty much insinuated that this woman should have done more to save the kids when, obviously, she had gone above and beyond.
Question for Paden. In Moore, is it pronounced "plaaahhhzah" or "plaaaza"?
It’s really hard to try and imagine living through something like that. When your house and everything in it simply vanishes, where, how, when do you get your life back in order? My heart goes out to everyone in the stricken areas. I can’t imagine what it feels like to lose a child and don’t want to find out. With the population growing as it is more and more people will be affected by nature and I seriously doubt this is the last catastrophe we will see on this planet.
Holy...
Plaz'-(rhymes with fast)-uh
Anybody prenunciatin' it like "Plaw-zah" is not to be trusted.;-)
Holy...
> Plaz'-(rhymes with fast)-uh
>
> Anybody prenunciatin' it like "Plaw-zah" is not to be trusted.;-)
As in "Taz has a plaza as a classroom"?
Holy...
We know how to pronounce it, but, the East Coast news people definitely don't.
They're the same people who think El Dorado has an "ah" sound when we all know it is a long "a" sound. Then there are the snippy ones out in Beverly Hills who can't properly pronounce rodeo.
Fox News interview of the little old lady & her dog
That was a pretty heartwarming moment when the lady said she prayed for her life and the life of her dog, ... and the reporter then said, "Oh look at the puppy!" When the dog apparently heard its owner's voice and peeked out from the rubble.
The lady had her prayers answered in the affirmative.
Much More Energy Than The Hiroshima Atomic Bomb
The main difference is the Hiroshima Bomb expended all it's energy in one place in 1 second.
The tornado spread it out over many miles and many minutes.
The cost of the destruction may be a record $2 billion, but the cost in lives has been exceeded scores of times in the past.
Just consider had the path been a mile north and crossed Oklahoma City the potential for damage?
Also consider why the exam for structural engineers is now 2 full days?
And that may not be enough. The exam could easily cover a full day for fire, floods, earthquakes and wind. That is 4 days.
I am aware of no special requirements for tall buildings under tornadic winds. I am aware of no such tall building tornado contacts. Perhaps the tall building itself affects the tornado path.
Paul in PA, PE, PLS
Think you mispelled...
El Drado there buddy. You put too many 'Os' in it.;-)
Much More Energy Than The Hiroshima Atomic Bomb
> The main difference is the Hiroshima Bomb expended all it's energy in one place in 1 second.
>
> The tornado spread it out over many miles and many minutes.
>
> The cost of the destruction may be a record $2 billion, but the cost in lives has been exceeded scores of times in the past.
>
> Just consider had the path been a mile north and crossed Oklahoma City the potential for damage?
>
> Also consider why the exam for structural engineers is now 2 full days?
>
> And that may not be enough. The exam could easily cover a full day for fire, floods, earthquakes and wind. That is 4 days.
>
> I am aware of no special requirements for tall buildings under tornadic winds. I am aware of no such tall building tornado contacts. Perhaps the tall building itself affects the tornado path.
>
> Paul in PA, PE, PLS
Paul,
For the answers to those questions contact the tornadic research group of civil engineers at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. They work on this stuff all the time.
SJB-)
What I don't understand is why local TV stations from all over the USA, including Birmingham, converge on these disasters to report the same things that are covered quite well by the national networks. All they really accomplish is to get in the way and take hotel rooms that are needed by those who have lost their homes.
The media flocks to events like this......it's part of the 24 hours news cycle that we have nowadays. At least it's a break from the new OJ hearings and the Jodi Arias trial.
And here, I thought P&R was banned from this site.......
I must be mistaken.:-S
Not political....it's a matter of humanitarianism and public policy.
After all, I didn't mention what political party they were from, did I?
a little more bad news...
Just talked to a fellow surveyor I worked with years ago. We've kept up with each other over the years. Gary still works for ODOT.
The arrow shows where Gary's house use to be..
He was out crawling around on his junk pile..he didn't know what else to do. I reminded him we were both older than dirt and he didn't need to be doing that. He laughed and told me his wife said that, too.
I'm glad I could get him to chuckle.
And if it is only a disaster relief bill with nothing else added to it, I don't see how anyone would vote against it.
My local ABC affiliate even sent a crew to Moore.
Really don't know why.
You are right Rob, it was intended to be political. Wonder who the sights are aimed at this time.
jud
Congess, Federal budget, Senators.........
Nope, there's no political words or innuendos in your post.
My mistake.....
