Things can happen in February that we can’t even imagine in July . . .

Last July, boaters were out on the water . . . enjoying their vessels, fishing, laughing, and enjoying family and friends.  A boat is generally a relaxing thing . . . but there can also be trouble.  An old, seasoned boater once told me that a group aboard can go from a glorious experience to an absolute nightmare . . . in about five seconds.  Sometimes it takes a little longer.  It did take a little longer for a bunch of Oklahoma boat-owners . . . but the end result was still a nightmare.

Being a boater, I like to read about boats and boat owners.  I recently read about a freak snowstorm that dumped two feet of snow in the Grand Lake area of Oklahoma (near Tulsa).  There is something like 5,000 boats on the water in that area.  When the snow finally stopped, the roads were impassable . . . and no one knew how the boats and the marinas had fared. There was great concern over the floating docks that are scattered all around the lake . . . there are many such docks . . . Well, perhaps I should say, “There were many such docks.”

Days later, the time came when the helicopters could fly in and check on things.  It was not a pretty picture . . . many of the metal roofs had caved in.  The reports were gloomy; yet, the real damage was discovered when the docks could be accessed by marine surveyors . . . the reports were bleak, at best.

Fourteen marinas and a large number of private docks were damaged or destroyed, and over 600 boats were damaged . . . many of which were sunk.  As the snow load increased on the roofs, the floats simply could not support the weight and eventually the snow-covered roofs settled down onto the boats, forcing many of them underwater . . . what a nightmare.

As I read the story, I wondered how something as lovely as snow could do such damage.  Of course, the majority of my experience with snow has been looking at it on a movie screen . . . but like with most things, it seems the reality of snow is often times not as pretty and gentle as it seems on the silver screen.  But still . . . snow sinking a bunch of boats?  C’mon . . . boating is huge in Alaska and there is a lot of snow in Alaska.  I have seen and experienced both in Alaska . . .

I did some research and discovered that snow can be really heavy . . . and the weight can vary greatly.  I learned that a dry, fluffy snow can weigh as little as five pounds per square foot, but a wet snow can weigh as much as fifteen pounds or more.  Another discovery was that warmer places get the heavier snow, while the colder places tend to get the lighter snow. Yet another discovery . . . marinas do (even in the warmer climates) consider snow during the design phase . . . but generally only consider it at the roof-strength and never on the float strength . . .

I suppose the message here . . . if there even is one . . . would be . . . Be Careful where you park your boat!

 

 

 

 

 

2 thoughts on “Things can happen in February that we can’t even imagine in July . . .

  1. Utrolig se5 vakkert et vann kan ve6re uetnast ve6r og vind. Man blir likosm aldri lei av e5 filosofere ved vannkanten, alltid noe nytt e5 kaste f8ynene pe5. Bevegelse, som kan gjf8re en se5 utrolig beroliget i sinnet…, nesten like vakkert som e5 se en gylden korne5ker bevege seg i bf8lger i vinden det….men du… hva har sjifaffen midt panna?? Har den ve6rt pe5 fest pe5 lokalet i trf8ndelag eller…?? …er der et reservoar for et eller annet slik som kamelen?? Dette bare me5 jeg prf8ve e5 finne ut.Ha en super lf8rdag kveld da, og fin fotodag i morgen.

  2. Because of the low sun, you will have perfect dawn/dusk shots? This one is just lolvey. I would love to wake up every morning to this calming effect.

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