re: Hurricane Maria - Visiting the Outer Banks before Moving OTS

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80 ft. How is that possible?

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?Steep v-shaped valley cut in deeply weathered laterite soils???

From Google maps: it's up in the mountains, with a fairly small drainage area and surrounded by apparently steep hill sides. A foot of water falls and immediately rushes downhill making two feet of water where it hits a flatish area. Add all those feet of water draining off of so many hill sides.
Follow the river to the north and you'll see a very narrow dam. That really says narrow v-shaped valley, and to me I wonder about the integrity of the dam.
Google map with the rio plata in the province

I'm not sure about strengthening but I'm sure it's something they'll look into during the rebuilding process. We were at ground zero in the northeast eyewall with 140+ mph winds, that is what took the roof off then once the eye went by the wrap around 120+ winds from the southwest pushed a 12' storm surge across the point on the open bay they sit on that has a elevation of about 4'. I'm not sure what year that home was built but there are plenty of newer homes right behind them that have been built in the last 2 years that also suffered some wind and surge damage but not total loses for sure, some of older places in that area that were not kept up with were completely wiped away, the place next door to them only had the pilings, the second story floor that sat on the pilings, and the bath tub that was bolted to floor left. Several places it just lifted the whole second story off the pilings and sat them down across the road in pieces, given the debris line north of the bay it looks like the water pushed inland at least 3 miles from existing shoreline where they are located. Given their elevations it a given the ground floors are going to probably get water in them with a decent storm but Harvey was bit more than that so it also effected the upper floor after the roof came apart.

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?Steep v-shaped valley cut in deeply weathered laterite soils??? From Google maps: it's up in the mountains, with a fairly small drainage area and surrounded by apparently steep hill sides. A foot of water falls and immediately rushes downhill making two feet of water where it hits a flatish area. Add all those feet of water draining off of so many hill sides. Follow the river to the north and you'll see a very narrow dam. That really says narrow v-shaped valley, and to me I wonder about the integrity of the dam.

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The NWS has stated the readings on the Rio de la Plata @ Comerio and below la Plata Dam are both inaccurate and awaiting repair. You'll see a note right below the graph in red font.

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A foot of water falls and immediately rushes downhill making two feet of water where it hits a flatish area.

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Those gauges can produce bad data readings when shite is hitting the fan. Most likely what it is. The only thing I can really see causing a wall of water like that is if a dam with a ton of head broke and the gauge was able to pick up the flood wave. There is definitely some record flooding going on though.

Like another said, I would burn it.

Maria seems to be recovering a bit this afternoon. Eye appears to be tighetning up with some leftover cloud debris still floating in the center. She probably has another day or so to get a little stronger before the shear really starts to tear her down.

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Maria sucking up all the Don Q in San Juan.

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fify

Good to hear things are straightening out

Info from a buddy from PR:

"North side (San Juan area) friends are all ok and posting on internet. South side (Ponce) where I am from there is no communication. Don't know about family and friends. Heard lots of flooding and wood homes, wood roof flattened. Not a pretty picture for PR."

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Like another said, I would burn it.

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Load it up and ship it to Haiti. They literally have stripped the countryside of wood for cooking fires, etc.