[Towertalk] Towers in Hurricanes

[Rob Atkinson, K5UJ]

Hi everyone:

This is a question for the tower professionals (but of course anyone can 
chime in).

The local newspaper's wx section yesterday had a writeup about Hurricane 
Andrew since this was the 10th anniv. of its landfall.  It stated that it 
sustained winds of 165 mph with gusts of over 175 mph., when it hit Fla. 
just south of Miami.  As a ham I naturally thought first of the Miami area 
commercial towers (was pretty sure ham antennas all blew down) and wondered 
if they were built down there to make it through something like that?   Are 
commercial towers for tv and radio etc. built for something like that down 
there or does everyone keep their fingers crossed and stay out of the way 
downwind of the towers and get the heck out of town?  I can't imagine 
building a tall tower that could survive an extended blast of cat. 5 
hurricane.  Just wondering.

73,

Rob Atkinson
K5UJ
k5uj@hotmail.com

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