[grammar cop mode on]

if you're in its path

[grammar cop mode off]


Garth L. Getgen

By Michael F Guntly (Ares) on Tuesday, October 08, 2024 - 08:34 pm: Edit

I have a son-in-law with grandparents in Naples.
They have chosen to ride it out.
I am concerned.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, October 08, 2024 - 08:41 pm: Edit

Getting ugly reports of disaster assistance being focused in areas that are known to vote a particular way. Playing politics with people's lives isn't cool.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, October 08, 2024 - 09:49 pm: Edit

[geography cop mode on]

Stay safe if you are on the path to Ur of the Chaldees.

[geography cop mode off]

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 02:01 am: Edit

The what?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 07:00 am: Edit

Ur path

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 08:41 am: Edit

There are videos from several angles of
unmarked helicopters buzzing a distribution point
(not associated with FEMA), designated a No-Fly zone, then hovering right over it and using rotor wash (apparently in attempt to destroy the site)....

Also, a small airfield used by civilians to bring in supplies, had a number of helicopters (reportedly belonging to FEMA) parked on runway and not being used.....

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 09:36 am: Edit

Asheville is getting plenty of FEMA support. The surrounding rural areas none at all. This has been confirmed by multiple networks, and is not a conspiracy theory. The question is whether this is done for political reason (Asheville is very blue) or is simply a matter of using what resources are on hand to affect the most people in the least time. Even if one is true, you cannot prove the other is entirely false. Both can be entirely true with one being the excuse for the other.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 09:37 am: Edit

The following was posted by North Carolina State Senator Kevin Corbin (R-50), whose district was one of the hardest hit:

Friends can I ask a small favor? Will you all help STOP this conspiracy theory junk that is floating all over Facebook and the internet about the floods in WNC. Example: FEMA is stealing money from donations, body bags ordered but government has denied, bodies not being buried, government is controlling the weather from Antarctica, government is trying to get lithium from WNC, stacks of bodies left at hospitals, and on and on and on. PLEASE help stop this junk. It is just a distraction to people trying to do their job. Folks, this is a catastrophic event of which this country has never known. It is the largest crisis event in the history of N.C. The state is working non-stop. DOT has deployed workers from all over the state. Duke power has 10,000 workers on this. FEMA is here. The National Guard is here in large numbers. My Senate district is 8 counties and it takes 3 hours to drive across it in good weather…. And this disaster is 25 counties in N.C. This is going to take MONTHS if not years to overcome. Government will play a role in this cleanup. We are going to make sure the state chips in some massive money. But Government is not the total solution. YES, there are a lot of neighbors helping neighbors and that’s good and the way it should be. Please don’t let these crazy stories consume you or have you continually contact your elected officials to see if they are true. I just talked to one Senator that has had 15 calls TODAY about why we don’t stop …… “fill in the blank.” 98% chance it’s not true and if it is a problem, somebody is aware and on it and not waiting for a post to go thru 10,000 people to be addressed. Thanks for listening but I’ve been working on this 12 hours a day since it started and I’m growing a bit weary of intentional distractions from the main job … which is to help our citizens in need.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 09:39 am: Edit

I haven’t seen any of those conspiracy theories discussed in this topic. Antarctica? Indeed. I did see NC people being interviewed live an hour ago complaining that FEMA and NG had not been seen in their rural area, but there is much ground to cover.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 10:30 am: Edit

focused in areas that are known to vote a particular way.

Bit of a 6 way video call going around...
Members of some group, talking diversity and making sure ie Trans etc, support toward DEI groups, suggesting neighborhood support would be withheld because bias...

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 11:49 am: Edit

Bolo, I'd like to see your supporting evidence for that claim, because that is an extraordinary claim if ever there was one, and extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

By Matthew Lawson (Mglawson) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 12:33 pm: Edit

There is a group (can't recall the name, but the representative was interviewed yesterday) that are using helicopters to fly supplies to people...I think they had a fleet of 80 at this point of people donating their own private craft.

The community is doing far more for those affected than the government and probably a lot more effective.

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 12:36 pm: Edit

>> government is controlling the weather from Antarctica

Doesn't everyone know that?

--Mike

By Jean Sexton Beddow (Jsexton) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 02:00 pm: Edit

I will point out that NC Senator Corbin represents the southwestern counties. The complaints about FEMA that I've heard are coming from the northwestern counties. FEMA has been in two cities. Many people are still trapped on their mountain without a road that still exists that will get them off the mountain and into town. And they also have no way of hearing that FEMA is in town.

I have seen the pictures coming in from Ashe County in the far northwest. Roads don't exist. Power companies say they will have to rebuild the roads before they get power to those people. I've seen the mule caravans scramble along the remains of roads that are a narrow-sidewalk wide. I've seen other photos that show the mules going across yards of missing roads. People are across rivers and creeks, and their bridges are gone. Some have made a footbridge out of planks. Some are hauling in supplies by rope.

The devastation is beyond belief.

And we still have not heard from my cousin Harry.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 03:27 pm: Edit

As a note, Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11-R) has put out a similar statement. As he posted it as a webpage, I shan't post the link without Jean's approval; I'm passing it to her via other means to see if such would pass muster.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 03:43 pm: Edit

Hmm... webmaster@starfleetgames.com (the address listed in the Board Posting Rules link to the left) bounces with the following error message:

550 5.1.1 sorry, no mailbox here by that name (chkuser)

May I inquire as to the correct email address for Webmom?

By Jean Sexton Beddow (Jsexton) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 04:12 pm: Edit

You can send it to sales@starfleetgames.com

By Jean Sexton Beddow (Jsexton) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 04:19 pm: Edit

<sigh> NC Congressman Chuck Edwards represents the western part of Rutherford County and the entirety of Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Swain, Transylvania, and Yancey Counties.

It may seem odd, but Asheville is in Buncombe County, not Ashe County.

The page Jessica is referring to is this one: https://edwards.house.gov/media/press-releases/debunking-helene-response-myths

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 06:20 pm: Edit

Ah, thank you, Jean. Much appreciated.

- Jess

By Michael F Guntly (Ares) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 11:10 pm: Edit

From CNN:
A powerful solar flare and coronal mass ejection has been released from the sun, according to the National Weather Service’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

The severe solar storm, classified as a level 4 on a scale from 1 to 5, also could disrupt communications, the power grid and satellite operations, according to officials at the center.

The storm is expected to reach Earth between early morning and 12 p.m. ET Thursday, with the potential to last through Friday.

As a result, the center has notified the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the North American power grid and satellite operators to prepare for disruptions, especially given the amount of preparations and expected relief efforts for Hurricane Milton.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 08:31 am: Edit

As someone that has done post hurricane recovery work (Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico) I can tell you it is extraordinarily difficult.

You have to get the skilled people, the equipment and supplies (like pavers, pan scrapers, excavators, massive dump trucks, cranes, concrete batch plants, asphalt plants...) there and PLANS to start the rebuilding.

All of this requires time and a massive coordinating effort.

And we were fixing a relatively hardened facility.

Compare this with Hugo in SC or the Virgin Islands and you get the idea.

SVC is an engineer and he can tell you that DESIGNING roads and bridges is a lot more work than just drawing a line on a map. For example, they probably have to get surveyors in to assess what has changed. Massive mudslides or road subsidence may require you do blasting.

I have seen anecdotal complaints, but little in hard evidence. If it is proven that there is a problem, that is a problem for the courts.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 09:10 am: Edit

Florida caught a small measure of a break, inasmuch as high-level wind shear, courtesy of a southward dip in the jet stream (Garth can correct me if I'm wrong on this), was enough to knock Milton down to Category 3 at landfall.

Even so, the devastation is significant. The storm spawned scores of tornados all across central Florida, and the storm surge was significant.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 10:26 am: Edit

There was also several High Pressure centers moving SE into the area, haven't seen how far they made it...
Milton was being pushed S of Tampa, haven't seen how far yet....

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 11:50 pm: Edit

Bridges... takes me back...

The US Army has a number or portable bridges that will span about 10 meters or 31 feet. They will carry most civilian vehicles and can be installed in about a minute. An engineer first lieutenant can pick a spot for one by eye and put it in place easily enough. These would be great for many applications in disaster scenarios. A heavy helicopter can pick up the bridge and tote it around or it is normally carried by a tank-chassis type vehicle.

alas, many gaps are wider. The Army has some portable assault bridges, basically pontoons that have wheels and engines and drive down the road like a truck. However wide a gap you have, just bring that many pontoons.

For an actual bridge, you need 1-3 years for survey, design, procurement, and installation.

My experience in building bridges is limited. Mostly I just threw a big pipe in the low spot (for the water to go through) and covered it with 20 truckloads of dirt and maybe a couple of concrete. I don't even call those bridges; just culverts. There are no doubt hundreds of such culverts that were washed out and can be replaced fairly easily. About a day each; you don't need much study as you're replacing what was there.

The only real bridge I ever built was over a small watercourse (called a "crik" locally) which took me a month. I poured two big blocks of concrete, let them cure for three weeks, then laid a dozen telephone poles into the notches in the blocks, then covered the poles with three layers of 2x12 inch boards. Survey took me a half a day, design one weekend, concrete two days to build the forms and one to pour, then one long day of lowering the timber into place. I drove a dump truck fully loaded with rocks and dirt across it and voila we had access to the intended job site. An Army portable bridge would have been much easier but the natural gas company didn't seem to have one in stock and the Army wouldn't sell me one.