130 M.P.H. Winds Tear Through the Woodland Shopping Plaza

 

Woodland Shopping Plaza, owned by BDC DeLand, needed to repair parts of the shopping strip’s roof. As with all roofing jobs, this needed to be done quickly and without reference with the public’s use of the building. The Woodland Shopping Plaza was different than most shopping plazas – it didn’t contain retail stores, but rather County offices like the Volusia County Sheriff, Department of Children and Families, automobile tag and title offices and the Volusia County Health Department. BDC DeLand contracted McEnany Roofing to repair one problem area, the roof over the Volusia County Health Department was leaking. The Volusia County Health Department was approximately 30,000 square feet and served about 16,000 residents. The work needed to be done quickly and quietly as to not disturb the Health Department. McEnany Roofing could not have forecasted what Mother Nature had in store for the town of DeLand in the next six months.

Like many contractors and installers, McEnany Roofing reviewed different types of materials, the weather conditions (DeLand being in a vulnerable area to tornados and hurricanes) and of course, the budget. Having completed many roofs using materials from Wadsworth, Ohio’s SOPREMA Inc., McEnany chose SOPREMA’S SOPRAFIX System. Why SOPREMA? “We’ve done a ton of SOPREMA [roofs] over the years. It’s quick and easy to use,” states Dan Noderer of McEnany Roofing. “It’s a top-notch system; SOPREMA’S like the Cadillac of roofing because of its high quality. Plus it’s reasonably priced too.”

In less than two months, McEnany Roofing finished repairing the roof with SOPREMA’S system. On the morning of Friday, February 2, 2007, Florida once again experienced an all too familiar natural disaster – tornados. During the aftermath, the entire nation watched, listened and offered help to areas such as Lady Lake, Lake Mack, DeLand and Smyrna Beach. Three separate tornados hit Florida within an hour and a half. By the time the second tornado passed through Lake Mack to DeLand, it weakened from only 1 mph shy of an F4 (160-165 mph) to an F2 (130-135 mph) tornado.

The second tornado swept through DeLand, devastating the town and destroying the Woodland Shopping Plaza. After appraising the damage, BDC DeLand was amazed by
the site of the plaza and its surroundings: the roof above the Volusia County Health Department (the very roof McEnany repaired just six months previous) remained
intact where the building was still standing. The roof that covered the other county offices was gone. The remaining portion of the County Health Department roof had some
damage from debris however the SOPRAFIX system and the flashing remained in the same place it was installed. Unfortunately, some of the walls did not withstand
the tornado, causing the entire section to be officially condemned.

The Volusia County Health Department moved elsewhere, allowing services to continue to the public. Meanwhile, the area began to clean up the surrounding damage. Because the roof built with SOPREMA materials withstood the tornado, McEnany Roofing was again asked to use SOPREMA’S products for the newly built structure and re-roof the other buildings within the plaza. Construction of the new building and re-roof began in the summer of 2007.

Would you like to learn more about the SOPRAFIX System, or any of our other roofing systems? Please call SOPREMA at: 800-356-3521.

Hurricane Safety Tips

High winds can bring costly damage to your property and pose a risk to your well-being. Here’s a list of 10 hurricane safety tips, compiled from the landscaping perspective. Taking note of hurricane safety tips — and acting in time — can save you the costs of wind damage to your yard or home. Following hurricane safety tips can also save you the aggravation of having to replace items you take for granted in your yard. While some of these recommendations aren’t technically hurricane safety tips, all are still well worth considering.

Hurricane Safety Tips for Yards: Just Before the Storm

  1. Make sure shed doors are closed tightly: otherwise, they could end up blowing off their hinges and becoming dangerous projectiles.
  2. Bring in flags and awnings.
  3. Hurricane safety tips for your vehicle: don’t park cars under trees (especially if you may be in the car when the storm strikes!).
  4. Firmly stake tall garden plants that could snap in high winds.
  5. Store lawn ornaments away, such as gazing balls. Not only is it a matter of saving the ornaments, but they can become dangerous projectiles in a storm!
  6. Remove house ornaments that are not secure, such as fall wreath displays.
  7. Check pool covers to ensure that they are secure.
  8. Harvest any fragile items in the garden that are mature enough to be picked, including flowers to be used for cut flower arrangements. There’s no point in letting the storm wreck them.
  9. Remember that storms sometimes bring flooding in their wake, and that means potential erosion problems. If you live on a steep slope or close to a body of water, among the hurricane safety tips you must contemplate is evacuation (remain aware of what local authorities are recommending). In areas of your yard where water is known to pass through, remove any items of value.

Hurricane Safety Tips for Yards — Well Before the Storm

  1. On the subject of erosion control and hurricane safety tips, please consult this article on French Drains to learn how to provide your yard with adequate drainage. Of course, the time to do so is not the day before a storm is due to arrive!
  2. Another hurricane safety tip that must be acted on well in advance of storm season is the removal of unstable trees or tree limbs that hang precariously over a home. For more information on hiring tree service professionals to remove such trees or limbs, please consult Hiring Tree Service Professionals. This is one of the more important hurricane safety tips here, since falling trees and limbs pose a hazard to your person, too. Consider hiring a pro if this isn’t a job you think you can handle yourself.

Tampa/Corporate Office: 8803 Industrial Drive • Tampa, Florida 33637 • (813) 988-1669 • Fax (813) 988-1855
Lake Alfred/Polk Office: 5650 SR 557 • Lake Alfred, Florida 33580 • (863) 588-4130 • Fax (863) 588-4124
Emergency Service: (813) 988-1669 x300