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

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.

Are You Prepared for the 2010 Hurricane Season?

December 12, 2010 by gibson Leave a Comment

Owners of waterfront property understand the possibility of violent storms that bring and those gale force winds! Hurricane season is here and you need to be prepared.

To ensure the safety of you and property, it is important to tend to all necessary precautions that are imperative at the start of hurricane season – no minor details should be overlooked! The NOAA predicts 8 to 14 hurricanes during the 2010 hurricane season so time is of the essence.

Checklist Essentials to Prepare for the 2010 Hurricane Season

There are certain essentials that should always be considered upon making your own checklist. Among these are water, non-perishable food, radio, batteries, and important documents. Make sure that you have a minimal of 1 gallon a day per person for anywhere from three to seven days. Non-perishable foods include canned items, snacks in sealable bags, and liquids such as juices that hold good amounts of sugar. A radio will allow for you to keep contact with what is going on and update with frequent weather reports. Batteries will not only power your radio but ensure that light is possible with a flashlight even after the sun goes down. Important documents need to be maintained in a water sealed case which can include but not limited to insurance, financial account numbers, social security cards, and medical records.