Scombrid - I was in Charleston a few days after Hugo.  The wind and water damage was horrid.  A section of the city was missing.  It was like a catchers mitt for a Hugo speedball.  No dade building code there. 

Miker - I'm a realist and I've lived in the west indies and have a current work permit in the WIs.  alot is built there sea level.  The St.M ravage picture appears to be a dockside fish market that might also flood out from a tropical storm. That looks more Cat2 than Cat5 - to me.   advance warning and short duration help lessen the impact.   they seldom print before and after pictures of the island homes because the before isnt so nice either. 

 saw REAL floyd Cat5 damage in Eleu at a friends house where 10' submerged 2ton pier anchors concrete blocks half the size of a VW bug were moved 46 feet up in elevation and 90' inland. And he is on the carribean side.   2' diameter trees 50' long were shoved through windows of ocean-front homes like pixie sticks. The signature of a real cat 5.  That was a direct, sustained hit @ 175 in 1999.   

it's never too late to have a happy childhood...