Is Your Seawall Ready for Hurricane Season?

July 19, 2021 by gibson Leave a Comment

Most of the time, living on the Florida waterfront is a dream delivering amazing weather, beautiful views, and enviable access to the water just outside your door. But it can also leave you vulnerable to some of mother nature’s fury, often arriving in the form of a hurricane.

With the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season already underway, and experts predicting another above-average season, it’s essential to ensure your seawall is ready. And since we don’t know what this season may bring, being prepared for the worst is the best line of defense. Plus, knowing that your seawall could play a key role defending your property and (more importantly) your loved ones, you need to ensure it is in excellent condition.

How to Prepare Your Seawall So It’s Ready for Hurricane Season

There are a few simple steps you can take to get your seawall prepared to face hurricanes this season.

Inspect Your Seawall for Damage

Your seawall is only as strong as its weakest part. Start preparing your seawall for hurricane season by assessing its current condition. When inspecting your seawall for damage, look for:

Visible rust stains and where the stains are coming from.
Corrosion from being exposed to natural elements, such as wind and water, especially saltwater.
Signs of damage caused by the normal wear and tear of everyday use.
Space between slabs that appears to be widening or becoming misaligned.
Cracked, bowing, or leaning slabs.
Cracks in the seawall cap or any small chunks broken off of it.
Soil settling or any holes along the seawall.

Assess Changing Environmental Conditions Impacting Seawall Stability

Not all elements impacting the stability of a seawall are visible to the naked eye. Changes to the environment near a seawall can lead to a pressure imbalance, which could cause your seawall to fail. Some of the most common causes of seawall pressure imbalances include:

Changes to water flow patterns
Changes to your living space
Landscaping modifications

For more information on these common causes of seawall pressure imbalances, visit Part IV of our Seawall Failure Series.

Expand or Extend Your Seawall

With hurricanes staying stronger for longer, they have the potential to bring greater danger and destruction. Stronger for longer hurricanes can deliver more powerful storm surges where an unusual rise in water during a storm is pushed toward the shoreline by powerful, forceful winds. It can cause water to rise well above normal levels and bring more water further inland.

Storm surges can be one of the greatest threats to human life – even more so than the powerful hurricane winds. Surges can push a huge volume of water inland for many miles. The speed and force at which a storm surge arrives leaves little warning time for people to get to higher ground. Surges can cause lots of damage, demolish buildings, flood homes, wash away roads, etc. Within minutes, people can become stranded on rooftops or in vehicles, or worse – be injured or killed.

Stronger, longer, and taller seawalls provide better protection against storm surges. Expanding and/or extending your seawall helps better protect your loved ones and your property.

Seawall Inspection and Repair Services in Tampa Bay

If you are unsure of what to look for when assessing your seawall, or would just like some assistance, call the seawall experts at Gibson Marine Construction. We offer seawall inspection and repair services to help you get your seawall ready for hurricane season. Contact us to learn more.

The 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season

May 20, 2021 by gibson Leave a Comment

2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season Predictions

Name: Gibson Marine Construction
Address: 2131 Range Rd., Clearwater, FL, 33765, USA
Telephone: 727-942-3111
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The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season officially kicks off on June 1, 2021 and will run through the end of November. Learn what the experts are predicting for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season.

The Colorado State University (CSU) Tropical Meteorology Project, a respected authority on hurricanes is predicting an above-average 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. Here are the numbers:

The average number of hurricanes each season (averaged out over 30 years):

• 12 named storms
• 6 hurricanes
• 2 major hurricanes

The Colorado State University (CSU) Tropical Meteorology Project is predicting the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season to have:

• 17 named storms
• 8 hurricanes
• 4 major hurricanes

Comparing the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season Predictions to the Previous Year (2020)

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season blew past predictions, with a record breaking hurricane season and the highest number of named storms (23) ever recorded in a season throughout the end of summer. That was 6 more named storms than the previous record of 17 in 2005. In 2020, we also saw 14 hurricanes (second highest on record) and 7 major hurricanes (tied highest on record). Plus, it was also only the second time in recorded history, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) ran out of names, then had to switch to Greek letters to continue naming storms.

And although experts are predicting another above average hurricane season for 2021, they do not believe it will be another record breaking hurricane season, like 2020.

Is Your Waterfront Property Ready for Hurricane Season?

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was also the fifth costliest Atlantic hurricane season on record, with total damage estimates of $51.146 billion USD.

So, if you haven’t had your waterfront property seawall inspected and/or repaired after the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, now is the time to do it. The experts at Gibson Marine Construction have 30+ years of experience inspecting and repairing seawalls. They can ensure that your seawall is in the best condition to protect your home and family, giving you peace of mind going into the hurricane season.

Contact Gibson Marine Construction for a free seawall inspection or repair quote today.

Facing Stronger for Longer Hurricanes

December 7, 2020 by gibson Leave a Comment

In a recent study conducted by Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University, researchers have concluded that hurricanes are staying “stronger for longer after hitting land.” Coastal property owners should take notice, as this can equate to more danger and property damage. Damage from a hurricane can happen a few different ways.

Hurricane Damage from Stronger Storm Surges

The rising water pushed toward the shore by forceful hurricane winds is called a storm surge. It can be a greater threat to human life – even more so than the powerful winds. And the crashing waves can cause severe damage to property, damaging boats, docks, and even buildings. With hurricanes staying stronger for longer, storm surges have the potential to become more violent, may cause water levels to rise and cause more damage.

Land Erosion and Land Loss Caused by Hurricanes

Hurricanes also cause damage via delivering torrential rains to an area. These severe rainstorms can cause rivers to flood, eroding the soil from the riverbanks. And torrential rains can create mudslides, leading to land loss and property damage. For example, scientists estimate that the amount of land lost due to hurricanes Katrina and Rita was approximately 73 square miles.

Seawalls and Retaining Walls Can Help Protect from Stronger for Longer Hurricanes

As of yet there is no way to stop a hurricane, but property owners can take steps to protect their land by investing in a seawall or retaining wall. They can serve as the first line of defense to protect property and help curb some of the damage caused by hurricanes. As hurricanes get stronger for longer, even property owners who have never considered a seawall or retaining may want to revisit the topic.

If you’re thinking about investing in a seawall or retaining wall, talk to our marine construction experts at Gibson Marine Construction. We’d be happy to discuss the benefits and how to best protect your property from hurricane damage caused by stronger for longer hurricanes. Contact Gibson Marine Construction today to learn more.

Enjoy the Beauty and Function of a Wood Retaining Wall or a Wood Seawall

November 13, 2020 by gibson Leave a Comment

Whether you’re in the market for a wood retaining wall (which holds back earth on one side of the wall) or a wood seawall (which retains earth on one side and water on the other side), there is no need to sacrifice aesthetics to get the job done. They can provide both beauty and function.

Why Choose a Wood Seawall or a Wood Retaining Wall?

Wood seawalls and wood retaining walls add rich, natural beauty to any landscape. And, choosing marine-grade wood material is an excellent way to protect your land from the tides, waves, and hurricanes, or to prevent land movement. Selecting wood for your marine construction structure can also be a cost effective choice at installation.

With that being said, it is important to know that wood does require more frequent inspections, repairs, and/or replacement. And it does hold up better in fresh water as opposed to salt water. Regardless, wooden seawall and wooden retaining wall owners will need to be more vigilant about the condition of their wooden marine construction structure. That’s why it’s important to choose professionals to do the job.

At Gibson Marine Construction we use marine-grade material for wood seawalls. Our wall construction consists of vertical 2” x 6” PT marine-grade lumber, a combination of 2” x 8” front and back wale system and a 2” x 12” PT marine grade cap. And depending on the environment, a wood wall can provide many years of service.

Questions About Starting Your Marine-Grade Wood Seawall or Wood Material Project?

If you’re thinking about a wood seawall or wood retaining wall to protect or prevent damage to your property, consider our specialists at Gibson Marine Construction to do the job. With over 30 years of experience our team will work with you to design and construct your wood seawall or wood retaining wall. Contact us today, we’d love to talk about the beauty and function that a wood retaining wall or wood seawall could bring to your property.

The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season

September 30, 2020 by gibson Leave a Comment

Usually, by the time hay bales become standard décor, corn fields turn into mazes, and every other billboard displays an ad for a haunted house – we can count on the Atlantic hurricane season to begin winding down. But there hasn’t been much that has been “usual” about this year (not to mention the COVID-19 pandemic too)!

An Active, Above Average Hurricane Season

Even before the hurricane season began, experts were predicting an active hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service predicted a 60% chance of an above-normal hurricane season. An average hurricane season typically produces around 12 named storms. And an above average season is predicted to produce 13-19 named storms, 6-10 of which become hurricanes, and 3-6 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5 storms).

A Record Breaking Hurricane Season in 2020

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season has blown past predictions – making it one of the most active hurricane seasons in recent history (since the current high-activity era began in 1995).

On Tuesday, September 22, 2020 – summer officially ended, and the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season broke its biggest record yet. This year (2020) had the highest number of named storms (23) ever recorded in a season through the end of summer. That’s 6 more than the previous record of 17 named storms in 2005. It’s also only the second time in history (2005 was the first time) the National Hurricane Center (NHC) ran out of names and had to resort to using Greek letters to continue to name storms.

More records broken this (2020) hurricane season include:

The first record of the 2020 hurricane season was broken on June 2, 2020 when Tropical Storm Cristobal developed, making Cristobal the earliest forming “C” named storm of any season. This was 3 days earlier than the previous record on file, held by Tropical Storm Colin (2016).
And, more named storms, designated by specific alphabet “letters” have formed earlier this year than ever before. By the end of summer, 23 storms had already been named, with 20 of those storms now having the earliest formation date on record for their specific storm “letter”. Arthur, Bertha and Dolly are the exceptions.
Plus, September is the season’s busiest month. September 2020 saw 10 named storms, a new record for the most named storms formed during a single month. The previous record was 8 storms which occurred in 2002, 2007, and 2010.

The 2020 hurricane season has tied a couple records too. Including:

A long-standing record – the record for the most named storms to form in a single day. An exceedingly rare occurrence, this has only happened twice since the hurricane center began keeping reliable records in 1851. The first documented occurrence was on August 15, 1893. Three generically named storms, numbered as 4, 5, and 6 all formed on the very same day. Then, it happened again recently, on September 18, 2020. Tropical Storm Wilfred, Subtropical Storm Alpha and Tropical Storm Beta all formed on the same day tying the record for the most.
When Tropical Storm Beta made landfall on September 22, 2020 as the 9th named storm to make landfall in the contiguous United States in one season, it tied the previous 1916 Atlantic hurricane season record. But there is still plenty of time left; the 2020 hurricane season could likely end up overtaking this record too.

Florida Seawall Inspection and Seawall Repair Services

Tampa area residents and the communities along Florida’s west coast have been truly fortunate this hurricane season. Most storms have been heading up the eastern seaboard, and those entering the Gulf of Mexico have been making landfall farther west.

But just because your seawall hasn’t suffered a direct hit from a hurricane or heavy tropical storms this year, doesn’t mean you can forgo the annual seawall inspection and/or repair process. With such an active hurricane season, there may still be damage; it just may be less obvious to the naked eye. Our Florida Certified Contractors at Gibson Marine Construction offer seawall construction, inspection, and repair services. Let our trusted team of marine construction experts help keep your seawall safe and functioning properly. Call or complete the contact form to learn more.

It’s a Great Time to Schedule Your Seawall and Marine Construction Projects

We recognize that in these unprecedented times, projects that were once a priority now may need to be put on hold due to financial uncertainty. If we can offer help during this time, we would like to offer a 5% discount on all contracts executed by April 30, 2020. We hope that this will help you move your project along as you planned.

Please feel free to give us a call at 727-942-3111 with any questions, issues or emergencies that our marine construction company may be able to help with. Or reach out to us via the website by submitting a website contact form.

Stay well and we look forward to speaking with you soon.

Regards,

Eric Swauger, President

Mike Mittler, Vice President

Seawall Damage

October 7, 2019 by gibson Leave a Comment

How to Tell If Your Seawall is Damaged

A well-constructed and well-maintained seawall is vital to preserving the value and integrity of your Florida waterfront property. If your seawall fails, it can be devastating to both, not to mention, an expensive mess to clean up. Keeping an eye out for signs of seawall damage, can help you keep your seawall properly maintained and help prevent seawall failure.

Five Signs Your Seawall Needs Repaired or Replaced

Regularly inspecting your seawall for signs of damage can help you determine if your seawall may be in need of repairs. While performing these regular inspections, answer the following questions:

Do you see any cracks in the seawall cap or have any small chunks broken off of it?
Are there any visible rust stains on the seawall?
Are there any large or widening gaps between the seawall slabs?
Are any slabs cracked, bowing, leaning, or misaligned?
Do you see soil settling or any holes along the seawall?

Cracks or Small Chunks Broken Off of the Seawall Cap

The seawall cap runs along the top of the seawall and is typically comprised of steel reinforced concrete. It’s not enough to just check the top side of the cap, you also need to inspect the sides of the cap, particularly the front of the lower cap area facing the water. If you see cracks or small chunks missing from the cap, this can mean the rebar is exposed. This exposure can lead to corrosion of the rebar, weakening the seawall, and potentially causing it to fail.

It is important to contact a seawall repair company, as soon as you notice that the rebar could be exposed. If you catch the issue quickly, you could save yourself some serious cash by only having to repair or replace the concrete part of the seawall cap and not all the rebar too.

Visible Rust Stains on the Seawall

Visible rust stains are another sign of possible corrosion. It is important to find out where the rust stains are coming from. Sometimes the source can be easy to pinpoint, such as it coming from a metal railing or decorative feature. Other times, it may appear to be seeping through cracks in the seawall’s surface.

If you can’t easily track the source of the rust to a nonessential feature of the seawall, especially if you are unfamiliar with the seawall’s maintenance history – you should contact a professional to have the seawall inspected.

Large or Widening Gaps Between Seawall Slabs

If you see a gap between seawall slabs that is significantly larger than the other gaps between slabs, or the gaps appear to be widening in general, this could be a sign that the joints have weakened or broken. It is usually caused by anchors failing, which can lead to the seawall cap cracking and/or significant damage to seawall slabs.

Seawall Slab Damage is the Leading Cause of Sudden Seawall Failure

Seawall slabs are under constant stress and pressure. A pressure imbalance can lead to a slab cracking, bowing, leaning, or becoming misaligned. And if the slab is not repaired or replaced, and the pressure balance restored, the slab(s) can buckle resulting in a partial or complete sudden seawall failure.

If you see any signs of a seawall pressure imbalance, call a seawall construction company immediately. Repairing a damaged slab(s) is much more affordable than having to replace a seawall that has failed.

Soil Settling or Holes in the Ground are Signs of a Seawall Pressure Imbalance

Soil settling or holes in the ground along or near your seawall are signs of erosion. Erosion is another common cause of a pressure imbalance, that can lead to slab damage and potential seawall failure. Call a professional seawall repair company right away to assess the problem and make repairs before seawall failure occurs.

If You See Signs of Seawall Damage, Call Gibson Marine Construction

Gibson Marine Construction is your one stop shop for all of your seawall repair and replacement needs. Contact us today about any signs of seawall damage you see and ask for a free consultation.

Hurricane Dorian

August 29, 2019 by gibson Leave a Comment

Residents of Florida: Prepare for Hurricane Dorian.

Forecasters are warning that the storm is already “a dangerous Category 3 hurricane, defined as sustained winds of at least 111 mph.” And it will be near or even possibly make landfall over the Florida peninsula just in time for the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 26 counties in the possible path of the hurricane.

You can view the State of Florida Executive Order #19-189 here. It only takes one hurricane or tropical storm to cause damage, destruction, and/or devastation. The team at Gibson Marine Construction hopes that everyone properly prepares for the hurricane, as best possible, and urges people to follow the government’s safety, preparedness, and/or evacuation recommendations. For tips on establishing an emergency plan for your family or how to prepare your property for a hurricane, please check out our 2019 Hurricane Season article here.

It’s Open Season on Florida’s Green Iguanas

July 15, 2019 by gibson Leave a Comment

Green Iguanas Are Invading Parts of Florida and Causing Problems for Property Owners

Over the past few years, the green iguana population in Florida has exploded, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has declared open season on the species.

Green iguanas are not native to Florida and not protected in Florida, except by anti-cruelty law. Homeowners do not need a permit to kill iguanas on their own property. And the FWC is now actively encouraging Florida homeowners to humanely kill green iguanas on their own property whenever possible.

Green Iguanas Are More Than Just a Nuisance, They Can Cause Significant Property Damage

Previously green iguanas were considered more of a nuisance by property owners than anything else, usually limiting their damage to residential and commercial landscape vegetation. But as their numbers grew, with more and more green iguanas invading an area, they also began to inflict more and more damage on Florida property. They are digging burrows that cause damage to infrastructure, which can lead to the erosion and collapse of sidewalks, foundations, seawalls, porches, decks, and even swimming pools.

How to Deter Green Iguanas From Damaging Your Property

If you start seeing signs of green iguanas on your property, such as damage to vegetation or iguana droppings, you may want to consider taking action to deter them from frequenting your area. The FWC recommends “modifying the habitat around your home or humanly harassing the animal.” Effective examples of this can be found in the FWC presentation, Iguana Technical Assistance for Homeowners.

What to Do If Your Property Has Already Been Invaded by Green Iguanas

Green iguanas can be killed year-round on private property without a permit. And the FWC encourages homeowners to kill green iguanas on their own property whenever possible. Just be careful, and aware of your surroundings when hunting green iguanas.

If humanely hunting and killing green iguanas yourself isn’t your thing, there are local companies you can hire to come out to your property and do the job for you. Another option would be to trap the iguanas on your property yourself and obtain euthanasia services from a local exotic animal veternarian, humane society or animal control office. The availability of these services vary by location.

Please note that it is illegal to relocate green iguanas. You can not capture them and relocate them to other locations in Florida.

Protecting and Repairing Property Damaged by Green Iguanas

If green iguanas have been sited on your property, or you see holes in the ground where they may have burrowed, you will want to protect yourself and your property from further damage. Filling in the holes you see is often not enough, especially if you find them near infrastructure elements, such as sidewalks, docks, decks, swimming pools, retaining walls, seawalls, embankments, etc.

And since a lot of the damage they can inflict on your property may be underground, you should consider hiring a certified general contractor, such as the expert contractors at Gibson Marine Construction, to inspect and repair any damage to your property’s infrastructure. Taking precautionary steps now can help prevent further damage, and more extensive and expensive repairs in the future.

Gibson Marine Construction Can Help Fix Infrastructure Damage

Call Gibson Marine Construction today to learn how they can help you by inspecting and repairing infrastructure damage caused by Florida’s invasive green iguana population.

The 2019 Hurricane Season

June 10, 2019 by gibson Leave a Comment

2019 Hurricane Season Predictions

The 2019 Atlantic hurricane season officially kicked off on June 1, 2019 and will run through the end of November.

Forecastors at the Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project (CSU), a leading authority on the topic are predicting the 2019 hurricane season to be slightly below historical averages. Here are the numbers:

The average number of hurricanes each season (averaged out over 30 years):

12 named storms
6 hurricanes
2 major hurricanes.

CSU is predicting the 2019 hurricane season to have:

13 named storms
5 hurricanes
2 major hurricanes.

How the upcoming (2019) Hurricane Season Compares to the previous season (2018):

CSU is predicting less activity than the previous year.

Here are the numbers from 2018:

15 named storms
8 hurricanes
3 major hurricanes

Tips for Preparing for the 2019 Hurricane Season

Even though the 2019 hurricane season is predicted to be slightly below historical averages, it only takes one hurricane or tropical storm to cause damage, destruction, and/or devastation. Proper preparedness upfront can be the difference between minimal damage and outright devastation.

The following tips can help you prepare:

Establish an Emergency Plan for Your Family

Family members may not all be in the same location when a tropical storm or hurricane threatens your community. Create an emergency plan and discuss it with all family members to ensure they know exactly what to do in case of an emergency.

Key components of your family/household emergency plan should include:

Determine how to stay updated on the latest emergency alerts and warnings.

Prepare a shelter plan – Create an in-home shelter plan and an off-site shelter plan.

Map out the best evacuation route so you can leave quickly should you need to.

Make a family/household communication plan.

Prepare Your Home and Property for Hurricane Season

Earlier this month, Senator Rick Scott urged Florida residents to “prepare for the worst.”

“I cannot stress this enough: preparedness saves lives,” he said. “Hurricane season begins June 1, and I am asking every family and business in Florida to get a plan and a disaster preparedness kit today.”

In addition to a plan and a kit, here are a few more things you can do to prepare:

Review and/or update your Florida Homeowners Insurance Policy
Check to see if your policy covers flood insurance. If not, you may want to invest in a flood insurance policy, sooner rather than later, as many policies take 30 days to go into effect.
Create a checklist of all the things you should do as the storm approaches. The list should include everything from what to bring inside, to what to tie down, to tasks to be completed, such as filling your vehicle(s) fuel tank.
Make a plan for your pets as many shelters do not allow them.
Have a plan for and the materials needed to board up your home.
Have a plan and/or storage place to keep larger, valuable purchases, such as vehicles and boats protected.
If you have an existing seawall, have it professionally inspected and/or repaired to ensure it is in the best condition to hold up against a hurricane and better protect your property. And if you live on the waterfront and don’t have a seawall, you may want to consider having one installed.

Gibson Marine Construction Can Help You Be Better Prepared for Hurricane Season

If you have an existing seawall or are interested in learning more about adding a seawall to your waterfront property, Gibson Marine Construction can help you check that last bullet point off of your list. The experts at Gibson Marine Construction have over 30 years of experience building, inspecting, and repairing seawalls. They use high quality materials and advanced technology in order to prevent erosion and to withstand strong winds and high waves.