Hurrican Cleo

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Everyone:

For those who don't know, I grew up in Coral Gables, Florida which is a suburb of Miami. (In fact, the University of Miami is in Coral Gables.) Coral Gables is also quite unique because of the number of trees that grow there, especially the huge ban-yan trees.

When I was 12, Hurricane Cleo was a direct hit. The damage it did was unbelievable. On our block there were about 50 coconut palms and at least half of them were snapped in two with another 10 or so uprooted. (Sadly, due to a coconut palm blight that hit in the 70s, most of these trees are gone today anyway.) As for the ban-yan trees, the damage is hard to describe. Many streets could not be driven on until giant limbs had been cut and cleared. I also remember traffic lights on steel poles being twisted up like pretzels, and we were without electric power for well over a week. But as strong as Cleo was, it apparently can't compare to Ivan.

One other note. At that time, the National Hurrican Center was in Coral Gables. In anticipation of Cleo, they put up a special wind vane to measure the wind velocity. It was blown away and the maximum winds that we experienced were never known.

Best wishes,
Mason

[MMMMMM]

"In anticipation of Cleo, they put up a special wind vane to measure the wind velocity. It was blown away and the maximum winds that we experienced were never known."


Makes one wonder what will happen someday when Hurricane Cyrus finally makes landfall. I suspect the true strength of the winds we have experienced will never really be known.

[tyfromm]

Hurricanes had names when you were a kid?

I guess you aren't so old after all. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Ray Zee]

i was at the u of m in 1966. we had a big hurricane. maybe it was that one. i remember surfing down the streets on big palm leaves as the wind pushed us easily on the water in the street. looked like a tornada went thru the next day when the sun came out. never got the inside of my car dried out and had mildew till i sold it.

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi tyfromm:

When I was a kid, they only had girl names. That's because there's no such thing as a "him-a-cane."

best wishes,
mason

[TheRake]

[ QUOTE ]
I also remember traffic lights on steel poles being twisted up like pretzels

[/ QUOTE ]

Mason,

I am a structural engineer. The company I work for sells traffic signal and lighting poles. These days the state of Florida has some of the strictest design criteria in the country for these types of structures.

TheRake

[Oski]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I also remember traffic lights on steel poles being twisted up like pretzels

[/ QUOTE ]

Mason,

I am a structural engineer. The company I work for sells traffic signal and lighting poles. These days the state of Florida has some of the strictest design criteria in the country for these types of structures.

TheRake

[/ QUOTE ]

Florida is so strict now-a-days that only stick pretzels are allowed in the state.