Single hurricane thread

[Whack9]

Man... the gulf coast is getting ravaged this year.

[billy.pilgrim]

sitting in the car watching the news while waiting for the rain to stop so i can unbox and fire up the generator.

[billy.pilgrim]

goddammit fucking idiot tug operator pushing an empty barge during a hurricane, probably because he wanted to hurry home for breakfast, the son-of-a-bitch ran into and took out our brand new bridge.

Last time it was because he was in a hurry to end his shift and last time it was a year being fixed. Of course no penalties for the barge company or the tug operator.

Meanwhile 3.5 miles turned into a 40 mile stop and go nightmare for Pensacola Beach and Gulf Breeze people

[O Really]

Take care, m'friend.

[billy.pilgrim]

Take care, m'friend.

Can you tell that I'm pissed. I thought I was hiding it so well.

He would ave had to ram it head on, if the bumpers were built as claimed

[billy.pilgrim]

https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2020/09/ ... 816976002/


It wasn't the coal barge. It was one of the construction cranes left up during the hurricane that fell over and took out an entire section and damaged 2 others.

It also knocked a barge loose. Currently this barged is headed to ran the I-10 bridge. This would add another 8 miles of stop and go if it happens.

[billy.pilgrim]

The 2nd barge collided with the toll bridge. No visible damage but not much of an inspection today. They're using divers tomorrow.


Pictures

https://www.pnj.com/picture-gallery/new ... 814494002/

[O Really]

You doing OK?

[billy.pilgrim]

Physically just fine.

Way pissed about the bridge

Super pissed that cranes were left standing and barges left tied up as usual and not one word from local politicians or media about the contractor being responsible.

Instead we are going to get FEMA and you and me to pay for the idiocy.

Why are contactors required to carry insurance and be bonded if not for this type of neglect?

Maybe it won't be a year again.

[GoCubsGo]

How very 2020 of them.

[neoplacebo]

Physically just fine.

Way pissed about the bridge

Super pissed that cranes were left standing and barges left tied up as usual and not one word from local politicians or media about the contractor being responsible.

Instead we are going to get FEMA and you and me to pay for the idiocy.

Why are contactors required to carry insurance and be bonded if not for this type of neglect?

Maybe it won't be a year again.

I don't think there's any insurance that covers "acts of god" but the crane owners and the construction companies are at present salivating over the disaster aid and low or no interest or even forgivable loans that they will soon be clamoring for.

[billy.pilgrim]

Physically just fine.

Way pissed about the bridge

Super pissed that cranes were left standing and barges left tied up as usual and not one word from local politicians or media about the contractor being responsible.

Instead we are going to get FEMA and you and me to pay for the idiocy.

Why are contactors required to carry insurance and be bonded if not for this type of neglect?

Maybe it won't be a year again.

I don't think there's any insurance that covers "acts of god" but the crane owners and the construction companies are at present salivating over the disaster aid and low or no interest or even forgivable loans that they will soon be clamoring for.

True, but I've never heard of cranes being left standing or not taking additional precautions for securing barges with a storm on the way.

Acts of Stupid aren't enough

[O Really]

The "acts of god" provisions are a little more complicated, usually more applied to inability to perform under a contract due to "acts of god" that were unforeseen and unavoidable. Other "acts of god" are insured, like floods, etc. And a person can still be liable for their own negligence in doing or not doing something to avoid damages incurred. My guess - guess - since I don't know any of the details or much about liability law anyway, is that if taking down the cranes and securing the barges could be considered normal precautions, then the construction company's property insurer will give them a hard time about how much to pay. But, since they didn't take normal precautions, the construction company (and their liability insurer) will get dinged for damages their loose and haphazardly left equipment cause.

[neoplacebo]

The "acts of god" provisions are a little more complicated, usually more applied to inability to perform under a contract due to "acts of god" that were unforeseen and unavoidable. Other "acts of god" are insured, like floods, etc. And a person can still be liable for their own negligence in doing or not doing something to avoid damages incurred. My guess - guess - since I don't know any of the details or much about liability law anyway, is that if taking down the cranes and securing the barges could be considered normal precautions, then the construction company's property insurer will give them a hard time about how much to pay. But, since they didn't take normal precautions, the construction company (and their liability insurer) will get dinged for damages their loose and haphazardly left equipment cause.

That's all reasonable to me. But I have read of homeowners who actually have flood insurance and their claim was denied because the insurance company was able to convince the court that the "flood damage" was actually caused by wind......wind driving the water. My best guess about the cranes, billypilgrim is that the "owner" owed a lot of money on them and couldn't or didn't want to keep paying for them. I can't imagine myself NOT dismantling them if I actually owned them outright. It also is puzzling to me why so many owners of expensive boats do not take them out of the water and out of the area in situations like this instead of letting them bang around against other boats or be beached and extensively damaged.

[billy.pilgrim]

okay, I finally heard a state rep say that the damage was the fault of the construction company due to their failure to prepare for the damages.

[billy.pilgrim]

The "acts of god" provisions are a little more complicated, usually more applied to inability to perform under a contract due to "acts of god" that were unforeseen and unavoidable. Other "acts of god" are insured, like floods, etc. And a person can still be liable for their own negligence in doing or not doing something to avoid damages incurred. My guess - guess - since I don't know any of the details or much about liability law anyway, is that if taking down the cranes and securing the barges could be considered normal precautions, then the construction company's property insurer will give them a hard time about how much to pay. But, since they didn't take normal precautions, the construction company (and their liability insurer) will get dinged for damages their loose and haphazardly left equipment cause.

That's all reasonable to me. But I have read of homeowners who actually have flood insurance and their claim was denied because the insurance company was able to convince the court that the "flood damage" was actually caused by wind......wind driving the water. My best guess about the cranes, billypilgrim is that the "owner" owed a lot of money on them and couldn't or didn't want to keep paying for them. I can't imagine myself NOT dismantling them if I actually owned them outright. It also is puzzling to me why so many owners of expensive boats do not take them out of the water and out of the area in situations like this instead of letting them bang around against other boats or be beached and extensively damaged.

That's standard insurance company procedures around here, but can be countered with evidence. In my experience, the damages are usually shared between flood and windstorm carriers.

[billy.pilgrim]

7 barges are loose.
Pictures here

https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2020/09/ ... 474848001/

[billy.pilgrim]

https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/day0-7loop.html

Cool interactive weather map. Those Highs over the south explain why noaa is predicting Wilfred to take a hard left turn toward the Texas Mexico border on Saturday.

Of course this morning 2 of the European model spaghetti lines were headed toward Pensacola.

Encouraging: our repug state senator is after the bridge contractor. I plan to call his office tomorrow and follow up with a letter explaining that his actions to hold the negligent contractor responsible has motivated me to vote for a republican for the first time in my life.

But of course, I won't.

[O Really]

... has motivated me to vote for a republican for the first time in my life.

But of course, I won't.

I voted for a republican once - it didn't turn out well.

[billy.pilgrim]

Here comes Beta