XPost: alt.building.construction, alt.trades.construction.us, alt.survival   
   XPost: alt.construction, alt.talk.weather, rec.travel.usa-canada   
   From: sniadoch@frontiernet.net   
      
   John wrote:   
   > I just wondered what states people would regard as being some of the   
   > safest places to live in the USA?   
   >   
   > When I say "safe" I mean the safest states from dangers such as   
   > natural disasters like Hurricanes, Tornados, Earthquakes, Floods, Wild   
   > Fires, Grapefruit sized hailstones, Severe Weather etc, as well as   
   > from crime, gangs and things like that?   
   >   
   > If for example I wanted to live in the USA, I don't think it would be   
   > a good idea for me to choose Arizona because I have skin that easily   
   > burns. I also wouldn't want to choose somewhere like Maine or   
   > Minnesota where it might be freezing a lot of the time.   
   >   
   > I also just had a question about home construction in the US. Whenever   
   > I see images on television of the damage from Tornados and Hurricanes   
   > etc, a lot of the homes that have suffered damage or have been   
   > completely destroyed, it seems that they are mainly constructed of   
   > timber. I don't understand why so many homes in the US especially in   
   > areas were you get a lot of Hurricanes and Tornados at certain times   
   > of the year are constructed of timber. Surely it would be better if   
   > they were constructed of something more solid like big stone?   
   >   
   > I have been watching some of the devastation on the news in paces like   
   > Tennessee from the recent tornados. I have also been in the middle of   
   > a Hurricane (Fran) once when I was on holiday in the US and visiting   
   > friends in North Carolina back in 1996 so have seen first hand the   
   > damage that can be done. I have also witnessed massive hailstones that   
   > fell in Pennsylvania when I worked there, and saw all the smashed   
   > windscreens on cars afterwards.   
   >   
   > I just wondered what the opinion is of people who work in the   
   > construction industry. Would it help if homes were built of different   
   > materials to timber?   
   >   
   > I am also thinking there must be some type of material that can be   
   > used to make car windscreens (windshields) that wouldn't smash if hit   
   > by large hailstone? Maybe some sort of see through plastic/rubber that   
   > the hailstone would just bounce off instead of smashing through? If we   
   > can make bulletproof cars surely making a windscreen that doesn't   
   > smash is also possible?   
   >   
   > If you have any suggestions for some relatively safe states in the US   
   > I would be very interested to know.   
   >   
   > I am guessing that much of the south and south east can be ruled out   
   > for the Hurricanes and the middle of the country for tornados. The   
   > Western seaboard for the fault line. Places like Texas, Arizona,   
   > Nevada, Southern California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida for the   
   > heat. The North, NW and NE for the freezing temperatures, so that will   
   > remove states like Alaska, Washington, Montana, N&S Dakota, Minnesota,   
   > Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Maine etc. See my rough map. I'm not   
   > sure if I've done a good job of getting roughly the right areas for   
   > the danger spots?  http://tinyurl.com/nt3vm   
   >   
   > What's left? Oregon? Hawaii?   
   >   
   > John   
   >   
   >   
   Yes.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)