The Most Expensive Hurricanes In Economic History

Harvey left a horrible mark, and a stain on our economy. The people of Houston are reeling from the devastation, and many backyards are still underwater even today. The rainfall is truly a marvel, as the comparable storms like Sandy dumped a fraction of water that Harvey did. Even Katrina, the horrific natural disaster that struck New Orleans doesn’t hold a candle to the rain from Harvey.

It’s no secret that our economy has not been at it’s best in the recent years. When the housing market crashed in 2008, it took the next 10 or 15 years with it. Predictions for the next decade aren’t so hot either, but it’s important to be realistic to the approach of cynicism. The truth is a difficult thing to swallow. Harvey hit Houston, and Houston is the oil and gas capital of the entire world. A massive amount of economic throw goes through Houston, and we’re already feeling that here in the states.

Gas prices went up within 2-3 days after Harvey made rainfall, and the government was forced to dip in the national oil and gas reserves in order to counteract the sudden spike. Here in the High Country there were lines through gas stations all around town, and it was very difficult to get gas for a few days as people were panicked about the prices even going higher.

The Economic History of Hurricanes

So where does that leave Harvey ‘s impact on our economy throughout history? Katrina currently holds the helm as the most costly hurricane in history. Yet, it was a lower category hurricane than Harvey. The National Weather Service says that it’s a common misconception that a lower category hurricane is less dangerous than a higher category hurricane. In my personal opinion, it would make sense to rate them on a scale of dangerous for the public rather than something less important but I’m sure there’s a perfectly good reason for that. Right?

 

Katrina costed the United States over $108 billion dollars. Which is actually a lot more money now with inflation. The levees being breached and the natural geography of the area destroyed many homes, businesses and flooded a large amount of the city and suburbs. Wind damage also carried through the area in to two more states east.

Currently, Harvey sits at number two as the most costly hurricane in history. The estimates are still being counted, and there’s some speculation that it could rise to the top spot surpassing Katrina in the near future. Time will tell.

“How do we prepare for next year?”, some of you might be asking. Here we direct you to Elephant Safe Rooms. You can also read about how Harvey ranks in history and learn about our recommended safe room, the above ground safe room.

ABOVE GROUND SAFE ROOMS

Elephant safe room with dimensions 8 x 6

 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Our 4×6 safe room is 4′ wide by 6′ long by 7′ high. Elephant Safe Room® Shelters a secure multi-use above ground steel residential tornado safe room.

SAFE ROOM SPECIFICATIONS

Made of solid quarter inch steel plate, this storm shelter is designed to withstand massive abuses from mother nature and criminal activity alike. The fully welded safe rooms are able to withstand tornado force wind speeds when properly installed inside the home, garage, or even out in the open. You can install these units outside, when anchored to a properly reinforced concrete pad, for safety and security for your family. Each unit comes standard with a 36″ standard security door with a three-point security latch system, and a key-lockable deadbolt. Sheltered air vents allow air in and will keep debris out, and each units comes with an enamel coated interior and exterior to ensure a solid finish and corrosion protection for years to come. For maximum protection from tornados, be sure to view our underground storm shelters.

Elephant Safe Room® Shelters are designed and manufactured in the USA at our factory in North Carolina. We service the Southeast directly, and provide Nationwide coverage with Freight-on-Board (FOB) determined at the time of your order.

Using Carports as Moveable Storage

Carports are traditionally thought of as stationary storage for vehicles. In some cases, carports are also used as replacements for a garage, which is part of the reason for the less than creative approach that some customers take towards them. They make for a utilitarian’s dream. At Elephant, we like to allow our customer the ability to create and design whatever type of building they need. This also includes moveable carports.

It’s important to note that carports have basically two ordering options, standard orders and custom orders. Custom orders can be delivered and installed just like standard orders can, but our crews generally won’t install on an uneven or hanging surface. So if you want to create a moveable carport you’re probably better off ordering a DIY kit. With a kit, you get everything you need to construct your carport. The DIY kit is an effective because it allow the customer to place the carport on whatever they choose, like a trailer.

Before and after pictures of moveable storage on a trailer.

It’s also possible to order a standard carport and disassemble it when it needs to be transported and built. The ability to move a carport doesn’t mean that it’s temporary, however. Our carports are strong, built reliably with longevity in mind, and have the potential to be certified with ease. The simplicity of the building process is really a testament to our engineers. The top of the line truss system is something developed by our employees who have years and years of experience, but can be disassembled by you in minutes.

Any style of Elephant Structures carport will work efficiently as a transportable storage device, but not all sizes will be as easy to transport as others. To efficiently gauge the size of carport needed for the job, a building advisor would be the best person to talk to. Our building advisors spend all day discussing with engineers and customers to get nearly every product tailor made to each customer’s needs.

Moveable storage created by a carport kit on a trailer.

 

The building above is purchasable here, and it’s specs are:

  • Custom Single Wide Carport Kit 12′ x 41′ x 8′
  • A-Frame Vertical Style
  • White Trim, Walls, and Ends
  • Custom sides, and Ends
  • 492 sq. ft. of storage space

Elephant Structures Carports

Elephant Structures primary focus is custom buildings for storage purposes. The broad scope of our customer’s desires has always led us to make carports, garages, barns, and more to the highest industry standards and beyond. Our customers have also influenced the direction of some of our designs, as the demand for DIY kits has increased in recent years. Kits are a sure fire way to put your mark on your building, and transportable carports become much easier to transport if you know the ins and outs of your structure. We currently offer three types of structures, the Regular, Boxed Eave, and Vertical style models are all available in any custom configuration desired. All of our buildings are available as kits, and if you’re in need of a DIY kit today but are unsure of the specifications feel free to call in and speak to a building advisor today for a free consultation.

 

Choosing the Size of Your New Carport

When purchasing your carport, it’s difficult to determine the size you may need to store your property. We’ve composed a guide to help you understand your personal storage needs.

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What’s going Inside Your Carport?

First, you should determine the vehicle(s) that are being stored inside your carport. While there is a standard car length, the types of other vehicles vary widely. With an RV, truck, trailer, ATV, boat, Motorcycle, the measurements need to be on hand when purchasing your carport. There’s nothing more frustrating than purchasing a carport that won’t fit everything you own underneath it when it arrives at your home. Our carports have various widths, so pretty much whatever configuration is desired can be engineered.

How many vehicles are you storing underneath the carport?

If you’re storing two vehicles side to side, it’s important to add extra width, and more than you would usually think. There needs to be space accommodating drivers entering and exiting their vehicles, as well as passengers. This is easier to determine than measurements of your vehicles themselves. Simply park them all side by side and see if there’s room to open all the doors. Then, you can measure the width of them all parked side to side or front to back depending on your preference. With those measurements, you can easily maintain a comfortable storage area and situation. It’s also worth noting that if you can manage a little extra on the sides for storage of lawn equipment it’s a great addition to any carport. A utility shed will also perform this function with protection from the elements on all sides! This is a custom order however, be sure to mention it to your building advisor when you call in if you’re interested.

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How tall are your property and vehicles?

Clearance height is a major issue when it comes  storing property, as it’s difficult to determine whether or not something will fit inside a height that is judged from the bottom on both space and size. Relativity! Measure your vehicles and property to find out the ideal height of your building. Also note that different widths and roof styles will have different peak heights. Your building advisor can help you with that as well, or this chart. Something else of note, is that every building over 12 ft. tall will have to be installed with a lift provided by Elephant Structures or the customer.

What do you want to use your carport for?

Some customers aren’t even using their carports to store cars underneath. Some of our customers created pavilions out of their carports, as well as hobby shops, or even dog houses. If you’re storing your vehicles underneath, that’s completely fine, but the versatility of our carports allows for a staggering amount of utility. Our carports are also available as DIY kits, so if you want to perform extremely customizable construction projects with our steel, we’re happy to provide it to you!

The future of your property is in capable hands if you store it underneath a carport from Elephant Structures. It’s important to determine the size of your structure as to fit all of your property before you actually purchase it, but if you need to make future additions our engineers are happy to accommodate future projects on your new carport or garage. Simply call in and determine what type of addition you need and tell us what you already have. Our installers will come right to your home and install your extra storage space just as easily and quickly as they did the first time.

A Metal Building From Elephant

Our buildings are more versatile and adaptable than wooden structures and will last for generations. The design and color of your metal building can be changed to match your home or other existing property. Our buildings are virtually maintenance free and can be installed anywhere there is level ground. If you decide to move, your metal building can be disassembled and easily moved as opposed to a heavy and bulky wooden shed. By altering the dimensions and adding windows, garage and walk-in doors, your building can house your vehicles and outdoor and lawn equipment, keeping everything secure and nearby. With Elephant, you can design a metal building to fit all of your needs for half the price of wood.

Make the easy choice and call us at Elephant Structures today so you can begin designing and pricing your own metal building. We have been manufacturing and installing prefabricated metal buildings for decades and offer the highest quality in the industry.