Hurricane Helene in September of 2024 struck the Big Bend coast line as a Cat 4 event with major storm surge. A condominium building near Carrabelle, Florida, was in the path of Helene. The parking area concrete slab below the condo had been destroyed in 2018 by hurricane Michael.
The replacement parking area slab was designed by GES Tech Group as “frangible” in accordance with building codes. A special protective riprap was also designed by GES Tech Group to protect the new slab from storm surge. Hurricane Helene was the first time that protective measure was tested.
Impact on the riprap protective bank was slight, requiring only minimal maintenance. The parking area slab was not affected and experienced no damage.
