Irma....

[pstephens46]

Just checked the canal level and top off the generator. Canal water is normal height.

Did find 2/3's my seawall buckled out, flat dock caved in a bit, davits and 3 yards of concrete each on their side, f.....!

Wonder why it buckled? Was there a tree and roots involved? Not much wave action in a canal.

[Jason2tpa]

The back yard....








Storm surge was maybe 2" over the concrete cap.... I suspect between the very low tide, the very wet ground, blew it out. I can see the vertical slabs just under the concrete cap snapped... The full 80' width is toast. Boat lift is fine, boat is fine.

Have to find and cut wires to the davits as they were under water...

Not a happy camper... That large concrete pad, now at 45 degrees, I poured MANY years ago and this boat sat there with the davits.. That pad is the ONLY thing that didn't crack/fail....

BTW, at least TWO other (older) seawalls failed and another (already failed, was even worse, and that's with in 400' from my place..

Whoa Scott, that's major! Since you said the concrete slab is "now at 45°", im assuming it used to be parallel to water. Is that gonna be your city's problem or your problem? Some waterfront property owners I know own their land up to the seawall, but not the seawall. Hopefully you're one of those.

Furthermore Scott, remember you said your area would be a speed bump for irma as it makes it way to tampa/stpete? Well indeed it did. We dodged a major bullet, presumably because the storm tracked inland east around ft. meyers instaed of hugging the coastline. By the time it hit tampa bay the eye was no longer intact and it was situated round lakeland. Sustained no major damage, only the north facing fence in backyard was blown down. Few houses in my neighborhood had huge trees completely uprooted. Boy did we dodge a bullet, whew.

[Jason2tpa]

The back yard....








Storm surge was maybe 2" over the concrete cap.... I suspect between the very low tide, the very wet ground, blew it out. I can see the vertical slabs just under the concrete cap snapped... The full 80' width is toast. Boat lift is fine, boat is fine.

Have to find and cut wires to the davits as they were under water...

Not a happy camper... That large concrete pad, now at 45 degrees, I poured MANY years ago and this boat sat there with the davits.. That pad is the ONLY thing that didn't crack/fail....

BTW, at least TWO other (older) seawalls failed and another (already failed, was even worse, and that's with in 400' from my place..

Whoa Scott, that's major! Since you said the concrete slab is "now at 45°", im assuming it used to be parallel to water. Is that gonna be your city's problem or your problem? Some waterfront property owners I know own their land up to the seawall, but not the seawall. Hopefully you're one of those.

Furthermore Scott, remember you said your area would be a speed bump for irma as it makes it way to tampa/stpete? Well indeed it did. We dodged a major bullet, presumably because the storm tracked inland east around ft. meyers instaed of hugging the coastline. By the time it hit tampa bay the eye was no longer intact and it was situated round lakeland. Sustained no major damage, only the north facing fence in backyard was blown down. Few houses in my neighborhood had huge trees completely uprooted. Boy did we dodge a bullet, whew.

[rodbolt17]

anybody near Marathon that could check a friends house and boat?

[fairdeal]

NOAA is apparently doing close aerial reconnaissance and posting it,
with detail down to individual house/boat/vehicle level

yesterdays flights were just Key West and a bit north.

Seems at best it could be a few days before they get up to Marathon





https://storms.ngs.noaa.gov/storms/irma/index.html

[99yam40]

Salt or just water and rebar do not get along.
I have seen the corners of brick buildings built to withstand a lot of stuff brake apart due to the steel rusting and pushing the brick apart.
Rebar in the concrete ceilings/floors of second story braking the concret and dropping big chunks.
had to build new switch rooms and maintenance shops.

Wish there was some thing that would last and not cost an arm and leg to put in the slabs to hold it together better over the years

[dray0151]

Isn't there a fiberglass mix that they put in concrete now a days that gives it strength and maybe doesn't need rebar?

[pstephens46]

Wonder if that tannic acid in the water accelerates the process?

[dray0151]

That just makes the alligators darker

[99yam40]

always told people I would not move way from the salt pond,
unless the hurricanes get to me several times.
then I would think about finding higher ground.

maybe it is time to start thinking about that if you get another one this soon.

but then they got over 30" of rain 150 miles inland at the farm during Harvey that washed out some roads

[scofflaw]

There are things that can be done to protect your wall.
One being, to make sure the fill in your yard is level with the top of your wall, so when the rain water comes down your yard it exits over the wall and not behind it, washing the fill under the wall and letting the wall kick out at the bottom

Another thing you'll notice in high traffic areas, they'll pile chunks of coral at the base of the wall to prevent the kick out

[scofflaw]

All the walls are about the same age in that area, and they all didn't go down.

Look at how much higher your neighbors grade is compared to yours

[cpostis]

Agreed, but mine, the re-bar, inside the slabs rusted out, more visible as the tide lowers (lowered once to be more visible so far). It blew out maybe a foot and half below the cap..

As noted earlier, water does get into there and takes it's toll:



Taken yesterday as I was on the 4 post boat lift(un-damaged-mostly):

Irma.... - Page 5 - Yamaha Outboard Parts Forum

Haven't been following the forum for awhile. I feel for you Scott, and others. Looks to me like the soil washed out from under the slab with that slope to the canal (maybe even somewhat before Irma). The seawall collapsed towards your house, not the canal? Probably the seawall was not engineered to support the big bases and thick slab that was done afterwards. A hell of a lot of weight! Your post lift is supported by the pile driven into the canal bed, thus no damage.

Is your seawall prefab concrete without steel sheathing? I see sections?

Best luck with recovery!!!

[scofflaw]

Problem is they aren't jetted into the ground, because of all the coral at the bottom, so basically the panels are sitting on top of the coral. Had they been able to get them deep enough, they wouldn't be kicking out at the bottom like yours and all the other failed walls I've seen in the area.

Whether you have noticed it or not, your wall has been in a declining state for a while. The answer is , the wall needs to be supported at the base from the canal side with weight.

You notice these walls don't fail from the top going into the canal first ?

Had you been paying closer attention to the buckling that's been going on for years you could have saved your wall with additional support.

My wall is older than yours and this has been brought to my attention from a local sea wall contractor. Won't be cheap to haul in all that material, but cheaper than starting over.

[pstephens46]

Postis lives....