Wind

[Don_P]

A few of us were talking about the wind on another thread and I figured it might be better to talk about anecdotes and other stuff here. Rick mentioned that he was kind of suprised that his area only has a 90mph design windspeed. I'm under that windspeed at my elevation although we do go up to 100 mph above 4000 ft, in some valleys and gorges. That sort of suprises me as well although I don't complain. We did have higher design values for awhile and the window and door prices were quite high for hurricane grade equipment. Good stuff and there are places I think it is justified. I mentioned we go up to 100 mph and I haven't seen or heard of a permit requiring higher here but anecdotally I know we have had much higher blows in places, and in places that we now have houses. Under me is a rib of rock that forms part of the Blue Ridge, that rock extends down into NC and runs NE to about 20 miles above us. It encompasses Grandfather Mt, the highest mountain of the actual Blue Ridge, Mt Rogers, the highest mountain in my state and numerous other relatively tall, exposed, peaks.
This wikipedia article mentions an unofficial recorded windspeed in excess of 200mph on Grandfather, I heard 211mph.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandfather_Mountain
The ridgetops here have seen some healthy winds that I'm rather certain are in excess of design. Those trends seem to be getting stronger if anything. So just sayin, the wind can't read, of all the design loads wind is probably the most variable and the most likely in my experience to be a good bit off. Look at your site with an honest eye, if you've got a million dollar view in May build for that nor'easter in winter.

I was talking to one of our appraisers yesterday after the blow the nite before. He was up on Pt Lookout (now if you're building on a ridge with a name like that, Here's your sign  ) A new homeowner had been bragging about his 50 year shingles, I'm sure they'll last that long somewhere in the next county now.

Rick, if you make it to the end of that wiki they mention the old ET&WNC, "Tweetsie". It also went by another name by the poor old mountain folk "eat taters and wear no clothes" 

[rick91351]

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I was talking to one of our appraisers yesterday after the blow the nite before. He was up on Pt Lookout (now if you're building on a ridge with a name like that, Here's your sign  ) A new homeowner had been bragging about his 50 year shingles, I'm sure they'll last that long somewhere in the next county now.

Rick, if you make it to the end of that wiki they mention the old ET&WNC, "Tweetsie". It also went by another name by the poor old mountain folk "eat taters and wear no clothes" 

The Wasash Front runs through the east side of Salt Lake Valley.  Winter time spawns huge winter wind storms.  Particularly around the many canyons that run up through the Front.  We were going to buy a home in Layton, Utah near the foot of the Wasash.  We went to walk through the house once more just after one of those winds.  Going to make an offer.  Brand new construction - brand new sub division we were so excited.  Until we pulled up in front of the house there were no shingles left on one side of the home.  We decided we would look some more.   I was working for Amtrak back then we got stuck in one of those winds where they would not let us move the train.  We were sitting next to one of those container trains and it was rocking like crazy also stopped.  We asked permission to move ahead just in case one of those containers blew off.  It was decided that might be a good move rather than get some one injured.  BTW    We never did make the move.

Our son in law is from Blowing Rock.  Speaks very highly of it and that area. 

Here in Idaho we seem to grow a lot of taters.... we eat a lot of taters as well.... Some don't seem to wear many clothes anymore either.  Maybe they are from that area as well.