Scaffolding
USAAustin Scaffolding
Scaffold Industry News
Scaffolding was not prevalent throughout the streets of Austin due to Hurricane Ike. Luckily, the damage Austin incurred from the tropical storm was not nearly as brutal as that seen in Galveston and Houston areas. However, Austin did come together to help their neighboring cities recover from the disastrous storm by assisting in rebuilding and reconstructing many homes, buildings and other structures – sometimes from the ground up. From scaffolds and cranes to work force and determination, Austin provided aide to its hurting neighbors to the southeast.
This, of course, is not to say that Austin did not feel the effects from Hurricane Ike. Due to it relatively close proximity to the coast, Austin did reap some of the damage from the storm. Winds reached 60-70 MPH, damaging hail and floods caused damage to homes and cars and fallen trees littered the streets. Though, when it came to the massive reconstruction, most of the work to be done was in the cities right by the coast, such as Galveston. In fact, Galveston is currently requesting $300 million to assist in repairing all the destruction caused by Hurricane Ike in September. Much of this money is required to pay for construction efforts, such as scaffolding, building materials, labor, equipment and the like.
Although Hurricane Ike was one of the biggest tropical storms to affect Austin recently, the city is continuously at risk for damaging storms. Austin sees major storms rather frequently, from golf ball sized hail to torrential downpours that flood the streets. Though residences tend to see most of the damage, commercial buildings are also affected by these storms. Apart from the occasional storm, Austin is also a hot spot for tornadoes, which have the capacity to wreak havoc on buildings and homes all over the city.
Whether a hurricane strikes or a severe storm thunders through the city, reconstructing damaged buildings is one of the highest priorities. Getting people back in their homes and businesses reopened is critical following a destructive storm. By being prepared with the proper materials, equipment and labor needed to do such, this expedites the process of any construction effort. As Austin did for Galveston, and as many other cities all over the country do for each other, we help each other start again after the dust has settled from a devastating upheaval.
Though Austin barely escaped having its city covered with debris, as workers tried to reconstruct buildings from scaffolding and families tried to find temporary housing, the city did feel the destructive power of Hurricane Ike. This is not to say Austin will not someday incur massive damage due to a spiraling tornado or especially tumultuous storm. All that can be hoped for is that these disparaging storms avoid our cities and that when they do strike, our neighbors are ready to help rebuild.