2022 - Severe Storms (T-Storms and Blizzards)

[ShockBand]

I don't disagree. Had Andover not been hit on Friday, I doubt you see these kinds of reactions. At least these schools are in the target area, but it is what it is.

And if parents wanted to pick their kids up early because of the weather threat, I'm sure most schools wouldn't mind or hold it against attendance. And many schools probably are safer than some homes.

I don't think schools should necessarily end early like this, but would have no problem with them announcing that you can pick your children up early if you want. I laugh at how many times schools close because their is a prediction of snow and then nothing happens. I remember walking home in a freaking blizzard as a child. They let out early, but the storm moved in earlier than anticipated and you couldn't see more than five feet in front of you. Now they cancel school and kids get to go play outside because nothing actually happened.

I get trying to be safe though. But rushing decisions like this can cause just as many other issues. I don't have kids, so maybe I'm not one to speak on such things.

I do agree the schools tend to err very much on the side of caution. The problem is if being too lax ended up with a student injured or killed in a preventable situation, even just one, the litigation would be flying. You are right that a parent can pretty much check their kid out for literally any reason they choose.

Back when I was a wee lad in the 80s both my parents worked, and as a result I had to fend for myself before and after school. But in that era of no cell phones that was just the way it was. Now communication is constantly available and frankly, parents expect their kid to respond. So even if a school or classroom is a "no phones zone" you can image parents get pissed off when little Johnny or Janey don't answer the parent's text message right away.

In our emergency lockdown protocols we actually have as part of the "workflow" the fact that students will want to message their parents. So in a "hard" lockdown they would be instructed to turn phones off in the initial part of such an event, in order to keep things as quiet as possible, and to make it possible for staff to try and communicate discreetly if necessary without cell connections being jammed. But then we have in our flow a time when we would instruct students (I teach high school BTW) to quickly and quietly get a text message out. By text because all it needs is a blip of connection for the message to get sent.

[SB Shock]

I can see maybe something being done for HIGH risk day where PDS tornado watches is issued. But like Fever said, most of these schools are FEMA storm shelters.

Btw, they are finding the in Andover survey - homes made in the last 2-3 years walls were not anchored properly. The wall were not anchored to foundation, but just nailed down to the subflooring. That why houses were just sucked straight up.

Some builders should be going out of business after this.

[ShockBand]

I will say after school activities at the middle and high school level is a bit more concerning because spring sports are all outside, and sometimes not near the school buildings. So sheltering quickly is more difficult when kids are scattered all over hither and you outdoors, sometimes a few hundred yards from the nearest school FEMA shelter.

[ShockerDropOut]

Btw, they are finding the in Andover survey - homes made in the last 2-3 years walls were not anchored properly. The wall were not anchored to foundation, but just nailed down to the subflooring. That why houses were just sucked straight.

Wow. That is just bizarre to even fathom. I would think some building inspectors would have something to answer for as well. It may be interesting if insurance companies either deny claims of take the city to court for negligence in their duties. Of course assuming it is true and not simply someone's uneducated opinion.

[WuDrWu]

No offense but this is when the government goes too far because of recency bias. The threat for storms is no worse than any other day and honestly schools might be safer than a lot of homes out there. Not to mention the disruption that it causes when sending kids home when parents are still at work.

I get the whole world we live in now and we have to hypersense and overblow everything but if they’re gonna send kids home from school early today, you might as well have 20 days planned for the whole year to do this then. Friday was a hell a lot of a worse threat than today anyway.

This is so right. Added, the safety difference for kids at school vs home, especially public school kids who are likely to be in less advantageous situations at home, make the decision even worse.

This is an example of why I get a bad case of red ass when "all" teachers are lauded as some kind of charitable god, over worked, under paid and beyond questioning.


There are tons of amazing, wonderful, loving, good and giving instructors across all lines of education. But there are a **** ton more of average, collecting a tax payer funded can't be fired over paid checkbook that thinks about themselves first and foremost and do little to nothing to effect change in students for the better of the students.

No offense intended to any educator out there. It's just the truth like it's the truth in basically every other industry in the world. A very few outstanding, mostly average, and a small to middling group of poor to awful.

[Kung Wu]

Wow. That is just bizarre to even fathom. I would think some building inspectors would have something to answer for as well. It may be interesting if insurance companies either deny claims of take the city to court for negligence in their duties. Of course assuming it is true and not simply someone's uneducated opinion.

Exactly what I was thinking. A bit difficult to believe that the City would miss that in a framing inspection?

[SB Shock]

Wow. That is just bizarre to even fathom. I would think some building inspectors would have something to answer for as well. It may be interesting if insurance companies either deny claims of take the city to court for negligence in their duties. Of course assuming it is true and not simply someone's uneducated opinion.

[rrshock]

On the walls, what does code call for? If code wasn't followed, it is one thing. If code is weak, that is a whole other issue. I am having a house built now and the only thing anchored to the foundation is the sill plate that the floor trusses sit on. There are large construction screws holding the walls to the trusses however.

[shoxlax]

Just experienced some of the heaviest rain I’ve ever driven through near campus. Luckily it only lasted a few minutes

[Kung Wu]

On the walls, what does code call for? If code wasn't followed, it is one thing. If code is weak, that is a whole other issue. I am having a house built now and the only thing anchored to the foundation is the sill plate that the floor trusses sit on. There are large construction screws holding the walls to the trusses however.

IMHO modern code is not weak, but it's only as good as the builder if they are willing to follow it.

You can always call your county building authority and talk to them about it and even ask them to come out and inspect.

There are lots and lots of good uplift connectors out there (most popular are Simpson Strongtie), if you are in a high wind location:

[rrshock]

IMHO modern code is not weak, but it's only as good as the builder if they are willing to follow it.

You can always call your county building authority and talk to them about it and even ask them to come out and inspect.

There are lots and lots of good uplift connectors out there (most popular are Simpson Strongtie), if you are in a high wind location:

Unfortunately, those add quite a bit of cost and I don't believe are required by code. With the ever increasing costs associated with building, you won't find many use the extra cost items. And some things just take too long to get Unfortunately.

I know that hurricane clips were used on the roof trusses, so maybe the whole roof can go at once?

[Kung Wu]

Unfortunately, those add quite a bit of cost and I don't believe are required by code. With the ever increasing costs associated with building, you won't find many use the extra cost items. And some things just take too long to get Unfortunately.

I know that hurricane clips were used on the roof trusses, so maybe the whole roof can go at once?

They can, depending on your home design and size, but the straps aren't bad really.

Did they use Timberloks or something like that to attach the walls to the floor system?

[Ted Lasso's Neighbor]

Camera's at Andover City Hall caught some incredible video of the tornado - https://www.kwch.com/2022/05/04/watch-andover-tornado/ - the video at the top of the page (11 minute video) catches it as it forms and moves toward City Hall and a 2nd video further down is of another camera that catches it as it moves out of range of the first video.

[shock]

Hope you guys can swim. That looks brutal. We are dealing with it too, except ours is caused by melting snow from a record snow year.

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/20...0Ixk&fs=e&s=cl

[Kung Wu]

Very cool time lapse of the tornado that my kid found: