10-16-2018, 03:17 PM
Hurricane Michael still had quite a bit of punch left as it swept through Virginia. A few attached pics testify to that. About 1/2 our county lost power and all of it suffered road and bridge damage. My electricity was out for 5 days and some are still in the dark. As bad as it was, it was mostly a matter of inconvenience for me and my neighbors. The people in Florida who took the direct hit are most deserving of support, prayers and assistance. Please consider a donation for them if you haven't already done so. The power of mother nature was on awesome display in the Florida panhandle and so many suffered so much!
The bridge pics show why we are warned to stay off flooded roads. Anyone approaching these bridges when the water was only a few inches over the deck might have assumed it was safe to cross. Instead they would plunged into the chasm left when the roadways were swept away. The structure with the abutment showing was damaged the same on both sides, and left as an island in the middle of the stream. We lost 7 bridges in this storm.
The other pics show the creek just below my home from the exact same vantage point 5 days apart. The stream is normally only 5 inches deep and contained with in a 7 or 8 foot embankment. At its worst, it was about 3 feet above the top of the rails and 535 feet wide and a raging torrent. My bridge was spared because it was rebuilt and strengthened after suffering the same fate as the "island' bridge in another hurricane some years ago.
We have several forum members in Florida. I'm wondering if they were affected and to what degree? Hope all are well. [attachment=10786][attachment=10787][attachment=10788][attachment=10789]
The bridge pics show why we are warned to stay off flooded roads. Anyone approaching these bridges when the water was only a few inches over the deck might have assumed it was safe to cross. Instead they would plunged into the chasm left when the roadways were swept away. The structure with the abutment showing was damaged the same on both sides, and left as an island in the middle of the stream. We lost 7 bridges in this storm.
The other pics show the creek just below my home from the exact same vantage point 5 days apart. The stream is normally only 5 inches deep and contained with in a 7 or 8 foot embankment. At its worst, it was about 3 feet above the top of the rails and 535 feet wide and a raging torrent. My bridge was spared because it was rebuilt and strengthened after suffering the same fate as the "island' bridge in another hurricane some years ago.
We have several forum members in Florida. I'm wondering if they were affected and to what degree? Hope all are well. [attachment=10786][attachment=10787][attachment=10788][attachment=10789]