Stage ("deck") footings question

[daniel lane]

LV and the whole desert are subject to flash flooding.

Rich,

Neat video. I'm familiar with the flash flooding in the area, but have never seen that video. Glad I wasn't down there!

WRT rain for this, though, the school is actually located near the top of a large hill, so no worries there. Plus, it's elevated above the surrounding landscape, so any water on their property will drain off to the front/back of the property and there's really no chance for any floods. Unless it's a 40-day-40-night thing, I guess. Anyway, thanks for the thought and concern, but not a worry this time around.


Regards,

daniel

[Peter Quinn]

LV and the whole desert are subject to flash flooding.
They can get half that annual rainfall in an hour.
I've been in a rain storm in Vegas.
Nothing is built there to handle rain run off.
The strip flooded to knee depth within a min or two.
Things were ==><== this close to the cars getting carried away.

An hour later and there wasn't a clue any rain had fallen.

An unsecured deck could become a floating battering ram in an instant.

Here's a video of one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efSVpt-anMQ

I'm familiar with that phenomenon. We get similar rain here, but nobody gives it a second thought, maybe a few small localized flash floods but nothing like out there. Here the earth absorbs much of the rain, there are drainage accommodations every where. They are at a low point surrounded by 10,000' mountains. Build a city in a fish bowl, that sort of thing will happen! I remember a friend that was an outward bound instructor telling me about inexperienced campers dyeing every year in Canyon Lands park Utah, flash floods, they pitch tents at a low point in a dry creek, seems like a good flat wind free spot to sleep, drown in their sleep from 1" of rain. I don't advocate letting at the deck literally float, he needs to anchor it to the earth, but not in a concrete and building permits sort of way. Google "playset anchors", sort of like rebar with an auger. Not sure if they work in the soil there? Here, you run them in with a strong drill or by hand with a piece of rebar as a wrench to spin them, then attach these to the playset, or deck, or what ever you are holding down with a few lags and fender washers. They can go to the inside and be covered by decking so they never seem interesting to small hands or become a tripping hazard.