Gulf shores is located on the Alabama Gulf Coast, right on the Gulf of Mexico. A notable vacation spot, it’s steeped in history. Fort Morgan, the site of the Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay, is nearby. The beautiful countryside has myriad wildlife trails to hike on. Championship golf courses are easy to find. Gulf Coast is also home to the beautiful Orange Beach and its jewel-toned waters and white sands.
It also has hurricanes. Since 1995, the Atlantic has been in a period of higher hurricane activity. The busy seasons are part of a natural cycle that can last for at least 20 years, and sometimes up to 40 or 50. Because Gulf Shores is right on the coast, it is vulnerable to hurricanes that come right in off the gulf.
In 1998, Hurricane Georges hit 70 miles to the west of the area. The hurricane gusts and very high storm surge caused damage to the area even though it was so far away.
In 2004, Hurricane Ivan gave Gulf Shores the worst year they’d ever had. A very powerful and unusual storm, Ivan had maximum sustained winds of 132 mph. Ivan was recorded as the sixth most intense hurricane on record, and made landfall twice, first as a Category 3 hurricane at Gulf Shores, and then as a tropical storm in Louisiana. Ivan caused the largest ocean wave ever recorded at 91 feet (which may have gone as high as 130 feet), and the fastest seafloor current during a hurricane at 5 miles per hour. Ivan caused major damage to Gulf Shores, and the flooding and wind damage took years to repair.
Smart homeowners in Gulf Shores install hurricane shutters on their homes. Even if the higher activity period of hurricanes in the Atlantic winds down, there will still be hurricanes every year and homes are vulnerable to this activity. Hurricane shutters protect your home from high winds and tornadoes that come in the outer bands of a hurricane. They also keep abrupt pressure changes from tearing apart your home, and they are impact missile tested, so any debris tossed by tornadoes or hurricane-force winds are kept from shattering your windows.
Protect your home or business with storm shutters such as Accordion shutters, Bahama shutters, Roll-down shutters, or Colonial Shutters. Prepare your home or place of business for the hurricane season, and give yourself protection and peace of mind when storm winds blow.
