Drainage on a Barrier Island Rebuilt Twice
Dauphin Island guards the mouth of Mobile Bay, and its construction reflects a place that has been rebuilt more than once -- Hurricane Frederic destroyed the island's bridge in 1979, and Hurricane Katrina split the island itself in 2005, cutting a gap that wasn't fully repaired until 2014. Roof systems here are built to survive direct Gulf exposure, and gutters are part of that engineering, not an afterthought.
Gutters on Elevated, Pier-Supported Homes
Because elevated, pier-supported construction is standard rather than exceptional on Dauphin Island, gutter and downspout runs have to be engineered for height and wind load as much as rainfall volume, and salt air accelerates wear on hardware that would last decades further inland.
Gutter Options for Island Homes
Wind and Salt Change the Math
On the island, fastener corrosion, wind uplift on longer gutter runs, and discharge points designed for elevated structures all weigh more heavily on a gutter plan than they do on the mainland.