General Discussion

wercal

(1,370 posts)

31. Fewer basements the further south you go

Mon May 20, 2013, 05:43 PM

May 2013

Footings have to be built below frost depth. Frost is 8 ft in North Dakota, so you've practically built a basement just getting down to frost. South Texas doesn't get frost...so footings are only a ft deep. In all areas in between, it gradually goes from very few basements in TX to almost all houses in North Dakota.

Alot of new construction in the plains, however, has above ground shelters. They make one of the closets out of concrete.

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Can't stop crying, 2 schools hit, 1 leveled by tornadoes [View all] Happyhippychick May 2013 OP

I feel like throwing up. I so hope the kids weren't in the one that was leveled. The other one looks uppityperson May 2013 #1

I hope to God no kids were in the second one. ScreamingMeemie May 2013 #2

+++++++++++ uppityperson May 2013 #3

Oh no. lpbk2713 May 2013 #4

I revised my title, I'm glad one wasn't leveled. I really feel sick. Happyhippychick May 2013 #5

Plaza Elementary is flat, oh damn uppityperson May 2013 #7

This message was self-deleted by its author riverwalker May 2013 #6

I just hope they were underground. Texasgal May 2013 #8

When the tornado was on the ground, the reporters were saying a lot of these buildings were not on ScreamingMeemie May 2013 #9

I know this area has been hit before Texasgal May 2013 #12

Fewer basements the further south you go wercal May 2013 #31

I'm in Houston. ScreamingMeemie May 2013 #36

Oklahoma City is on solid rock and requires dynamite to create storm shelters. LeftInTX May 2013 #39

Somebody mentioned a cellar wercal May 2013 #40

Oh My! kentuck May 2013 #10

By this time of the day virtually all midwestern schools should have been let out @ an hour ago riderinthestorm May 2013 #11

Yes.. please god let them have been let out early... redqueen May 2013 #14

This storm hit over an hour ago. Texasgal May 2013 #15

Tornado was on the ground for at least 1 hr, they locked down the schools until it passed uppityperson May 2013 #16

Aw dammit. Simply awful.... there's no words for this kind of terrible event. nt riderinthestorm May 2013 #19

way uppityperson May 2013 #21

Horrific. nt Demo_Chris May 2013 #13

I feel the same. Horrible,horrible. sufrommich May 2013 #17

Just moved out of the area.., a la izquierda May 2013 #18

It's devasting LeftInTX May 2013 #20

I know some in Houston used to.. but IDK about OK. I hope they had them. freshwest May 2013 #27

No basement in one of the schools LeftInTX May 2013 #30

Hopefully got to the bathrooms? Don't know about the construction of these. freshwest May 2013 #33

Aerials of the schools. LeftInTX May 2013 #38

Pic of one of the schools LeftInTX May 2013 #41

That's terrible. In just a few minutes. It looks hopeless, LeftinTX. freshwest May 2013 #43

They reported that it 2+ miles wide. sheshe2 May 2013 #35

Everything in its path would be destroyed by the debris it picked up. Worse than the winds alone. freshwest May 2013 #42

@BuzzFeedAndrew: Farmer being interviewed on KFOR: "There's maybe 75-100 dead horses." @adolwyn: M Hissyspit May 2013 #22

LBN Thread Here: Hissyspit May 2013 #23

Plaza towers school, pulling 3rd graders out of the destroyed school, helicopters, fires, fuck uppityperson May 2013 #24

They are on the scene helping - hope they find them all soon. Just little kids. freshwest May 2013 #34

Poor reporter on live news broke down, unable to finish sentence dixiegrrrrl May 2013 #25

Yeah, I'm watching that one. tosh May 2013 #29

I think it was near or at his own neighborhood CBGLuthier May 2013 #32

Cnn says they are pulling out children alive. hrmjustin May 2013 #26

Oh, happy, hope they got to ground before that hit. I know the teachers did all they could. freshwest May 2013 #28

You can! Rex May 2013 #37