Comments on: Ike’s wrath, The Big Picture

By: Faithful Reader

Faithful Reader — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:09:06 +0000

KC, I didn’t explain myself very well. The actual numbers of deaths and injuries were higher for hurricanes 100 years ago, but the rate of death (percentage of population) was much higher. And if a band of Native Americans lost 20/100 people in a storm 300 years ago, that’s a huge rate of loss.

The economic and personal disruption is on a grander scale now, in billions of dollars and millions of people, rather than millions(?) and thousands.

By: Mike C.

Mike C. — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:19:55 +0000

I sat through Ike at Westheimer and 610. Not much damage in that area, but not a lot of fun in the aftermath. Wednesday I had an airline carry me back to old Virginiy, as I was tired of sweating in the dark.

By: JB of Brisbane

JB of Brisbane — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:16:31 +0000

“… it looks like a war zone.”

No, it looks like a hurricane/typhoon/tropical cyclone hit it.

Dresden after the firebombing… now THAT looked like a war zone.

By: KC

KC — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:53:51 +0000

Actually, hurricane death tolls have decreased. Some examples:

Galveston Texas, 1900: 6,000 – 12,000
Florida, 1928: 2,500 – 4,078
Georgia – South Carolina, 1893: 1,000 – 2,000

Compare this to:

Katrina, 2005: 1,800
Hugo, 1989: 76
Andrew, 1992: 65
Ike, 2008: 55

By: Faithful Reader

Faithful Reader — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:05:57 +0000

Whatever the natural “disaster,” weather or geologic, it’s only a disaster because of all the people involved. If a storm such as Ike blew through Texas 300 years ago, or an earthquake hit Sichuan in China, or a tsunami in Indonesia, the people undoubtedly suffered and died, but not on the epic scale of today. (The rate of death was probably much higher.) The cleanup was minimal and mostly taken care of by natural processes– rot, fire, and scavengers. That’s what happened at Mt. St. Helen’s, where the human population and presence was thin.

Our planet’s population continues to grow in dangerous habitat. I’m afraid things will get worse.

By: KC

KC — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:56:41 +0000

Well, I was going to say it could have been a fuse, but there was a possibility it could be a transformer. The latter is rare, but it does happen.

Fuses on transformers depends on size and line voltage. According to my fuse coordination chart, 10 and 15 KVA transformers takes a 6A fuse at 7,200 and 14,400 volts, 25 KVAs take a 10A at 7,200v and 6A at 14,400v. A 167 KVA transformer, the largest you can hang on a pole, has 40A at 7,200 and 25A at 14,400.

Larger fuse sizes are used for sectionalizing line, and are based on available fault currents and load. These can go on up to larger sizes.

Even a smaller size fuse can make a loud boom. I think it was a 6A fuse that went off like that one fine morning right after I energized a line. It’s gotten so I put in ear plugs before I close in a bank.

As said, though it’s rare sometimes a transformer will let go. This is typically from lightning damage.

By: Gary Ansorge

Gary Ansorge — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:32:38 +0000

What you probably heard was the 50 amp fuses blowing(typical for transformers in a resedential district). While staying with my daughter in Buckhead a few years ago, I twice heard such “shotgun” blasts and when talking to the power company crew, learned about the fuses. Really loud when they blow but there was no damage to the transformer itself.

I grew up in Los Angeles, Ca and am inured to earthquakes. After so many years in LA, I could tell within .1 or.2 the magnitude of the quake, from the intensity of the shaking and its duration. I think I’d prefer earthquakes to tornados and hurricanes,,,

GAry 7