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HURRICANE KATRINA BATTERS GULF COAST
The effects of Hurricane Katrina will be long felt and long remembered.
Beyond the lives and property damage from the initial wind and water as
this major storm made landfall early Monday morning, August 29, will be
the economic damage to the U.S. Gulf Coast oil and shipping industries.
Katrina was downgraded from a Category 5 to a Category 4 just before hitting
land. Still, Katrina was described as a very large and powerful storm
with hurricane-force winds extending out over 100 miles from its center
primarily to the east of its eye and generating widespread Gulf wave heights
over 45 feet.
With 145-mph winds it made landfall near Harrison County, MS, which includes
the cities of Gulfport and Biloxi. First reports recorded 55 deaths due
to the storm, but more were expected. Initial insurance estimates have
put Katrina’s damage at $9 billion at the low end and ranging up
to $16 billion, which would make it one of the costliest storms on record.
New Orleans, LA, expected the worst, but was spared the brunt of the storm.
The worst damage to New Orleans will be from flooding. The city’s
French Quarter was expected to be under 18 to 20 feet of water. A 15-foot
section of the roof was torn from the Superdome where 10,000 evacuees
took shelter, according to The New York Times.
A few days earlier Katrina swept across southern Florida as a Category
1 hurricane before moving out over the Gulf of Mexico. There the warm
waters strengthened the storm as it intensified into a Category 5 hurricane
and grew beyond early predictions with winds up to 165 mph. It is not
unusual for storms to reach Category 5 while at sea, but only three such
storms have ever made landfall: Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Camille in 1969
and an unnamed hurricane that struck the Florida Keys in 1935.
In the week following landfall heavy rains from Katrina were expected
as far away as New England and the Canadian province of Quebec.
AQS RELEASES HURRICANE GUIDE FOR
RESTORING WATER DAMAGED BUILDINGS
Air Quality Sciences, Inc. (AQS), Atlanta, GA, has released a guide to educate
commercial property owners and managers on the initial steps required to
begin the hurricane recovery process. The guide, “Post Hurricane Basics:
Restoring Your Property,” outlines best practices for beginning the
process of remediating a water damaged building.
The destruction force of wind can, and often, opens buildings to water damage
from land (run off), sea (storm surge) and air (rain) sources. Excessive
water damage poses a significant risk to health and property. One of the
most significant impacts of moisture damage is the growth of mold that can
be destructive to the external and internal building materials and furnishings.
Resulting mold growth can also present a health hazard to building occupants
and restoration crews.
“When commercial buildings are damaged by a natural or manmade water
disaster, the restoration process can be long and complex,”says Anthony
Worthan, president of AQS.
The guide, which is not intended to be a comprehensive remediation plan,
but a sound foundation for assessing the situation and moving toward an
effective and affordable solution, is featured on the Building Consulting
page of the AQS Web site: www.aqs.com.
NEW DVD VIDEO FOR SPLATS ROLLING SHUTTERS
Innovative Protective Products now has a new DVD video for Splats. The video
demonstrates to the consumer the many benefits provided by the Splats and
the ultimate protection from hurricanes.
Some of the benefits of SPLATS are:
• Passes Florida Building Code and Florida Product Approval # FL1801
• Elimination of storm bars for an unobstructed view.
• Able to withstand wind speeds of over 200 mph.
• Scratch resistant/non-corrosive and no painting required.
• Light slits allow light to enter and increase airflow.
• Custom color matching available.
ONLINE COURSES
APPROVED FOR MIAMI-DADE CONTRACTORS
Miami-Dade County (FL) contractors can now reduce travel and education
costs by taking professional education courses online instead of traveling
to a limited number of traditional classes and seminars. RedVector.com,
which offers courses for design and construction professionals, is now
approved by the Miami-Dade Construction Trades Qualifying Board to provide
online continuing education, the company states.
Miami-Dade County’s 7,000 licensed contractors are required to take
16 hours of courses every two years. Up to four hours of courses can be
taken online at www.redvector.com.
The RedVector courses approved for Miami-Dade Contractors include:
• Basic Construction Mathematics
• Business Management
• Contract Basics: The Small Contracting Agreement
• Fire! Designing Adequate Means of Escape
• Florida Workers’ Compensation Law
• Interior Codes 1: Overview of Codes Standards
• Interior Codes 2: Occupancy Classifications Loads
• Introduction to Indoor Air Quality
• Project Management
• The Genesis of Toxic Mold
• Use of Steel in Design Construction
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