Posts Tagged ‘Hurricane Season’

Hurricane Season on us. Some Facts

Monday, July 18th, 2011

A few quick points that people who are relocating to places like Florida or the Louisiana coast. If you are moving from a place that has had a climate free from thunderstorms and hurricanes then you need to educate yourself on what to expect. Don’t get scared, that’s the first thing. Events like Katrina don’t happen every year, those are freakish disasters. All the same, you need to be physically, mentally, and materially prepared to see through the hurricane season safely with zero or no damage to life and property.

Even though big hurricanes may not happen every year in your state or area, you don’t have to be anywhere close to a major hurricane to get really wet, see flooding on the streets, lose electricity and communication, have windows broken, lose roofs, see inland waterways get flooded, see streets choked with debris, etc. You get the picture. All the above situations happen when high winds and heavy rains come visiting during the hurricane season. At such times you are best inside the safety of your building; however, if there is an evacuation order then heed it. Don’t listen to people who might try to convince you otherwise and tell you that evacuation is a needless chore. Do not think that if you stay on the 17th floor of a high-rise, you’re safe because flood waters can never reach that high. Well, they may not. But the winds at that height are going to be howling mad and you’d best have your hurricane shutters on. If you are not moving or cannot move, ensure that you have some necessary items close to you. These include a source of renewable power like a cranking generator, solar cell; flashlights, matches; drinking water; water purifying tablets; canned and dry food items; and of course medicine.

Even as we speak, tropical storm Bret is moving towards Bahamas and is already packing maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.

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What Hurts More – Wind or Water? – Part One

Monday, July 11th, 2011

As the hurricane season approaches; it is time to understand a few basic things about hurricanes. The Atlantic Hurricane season begins to take shape in August / September and yet if one was to go by the word of hurricane shutter companies, business is slow? Why? Could it be because people have forgotten the damage from earlier hurricanes or they are betting on this year being a safe one. According to observers, a scare is perhaps the only way to jog people out of their lethargy and when a scare actually comes along, supplies often fall short and many people are left struggling to purchase and install hurricane shutters and generators in their homes in time before the storms come.

When wind and water both combine to lay waste our habitat the least we can do is to be as prepared as we can. But what hurts more? Statistics show that a storm surge is easily the most deadly aspect of a hurricane. It is not as frequent as floods that come with the heavy rains but when it happens, it is a real killer and destroyer of property. This single biggest cause of fatalities is a clear danger to all cities along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. Tropical cyclones can lead to drownings both in the sea and inland. And if you check the figures, then storm surges account for half the losses since the past 40 years.

This is not to say that floods are to be treated lightly. Inland river systems can swell and flood very fast in case of a heavy downpour. If you’re caught in such a situation, your best bet is to get out before the river, lake, stream really swells up. When winds hit speeds of 110 miles per hour, then even securely anchored boats can capsize, make no mention of those unmoored boats in the sea. Often people seem to be unaware of their own vulnerability, which perhaps leads them to venture out in spite of storm warnings.

If you are living in an area that is at risk from storm surges, then you need to do more than just have hurricane shutters installed. Keep rations for five days ready, do not venture close to water till the storm warnings are lifted.

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West Palm Beach Impact Hurricane Windows

Friday, April 15th, 2011

West Palm Beach is a well known night time hotspot, and people come from all over the country to visit there. It has everything you want in a vacation site – warm, sunny weather, palm trees everywhere, a historic district and shopping district, and access to the water anytime you want it. It’s like heaven on earth to visit West Palm. But if you live there year round, you know that you must be prepared for hurricanes and tropical storms. Paradise comes with a price, and that price is the yearly hurricane season.

Hurricanes come in five categories:

Category One Hurricanes (Sustained winds 74-95 mph)
Very dangerous winds will produce some damage. People, livestock, and pets struck by flying or falling debris could be injured or killed.

Category Two Hurricanes (Sustained winds 96-110 mph)
Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage. There is a substantial risk of injury or death to people, livestock, and pets due to flying and falling debris.

Category Three Hurricanes (Sustained winds 111-130 mph)
Devastating damage will occur. Hurricane Ivan is an example of a hurricane that brought Category 3 winds and impacts to coastal portions of the United States.

Category Four Hurricanes (Sustained winds 131-155 mph)
Catastrophic damage will occur. Hurricane Charley was a Category Four hurricane.

Category Five Hurricanes (Sustained winds greater than 155 mph)
Catastrophic damage will occur. Think Katrina. Remember the damage done to New Orleans?

Impact hurricane windows can lessen the damage done by hurricanes, and can keep them from happening at all, depending on conditions. They are specially made to keep out wind and rain and windborne debris thrown at high speeds, making them the best choice for hurricane protection. They have a heavyweight aluminum frame that fits tightly, and they have two layers of glass, specially coated for strength and shatter proofing, with an inner liner between the two layers. This means that the storm must go through three layers of protection in order to get into your home, and the glass won’t come out of the frame even if it breaks. It will stay in the frame, and no glass will be able to fly around your home and injure someone you love.
Impact hurricane windows are the best protection that you can give your West Palm Beach home. Enjoy the Florida lifestyle, but make sure you stay prepared and safe from the storms that are a part of this. Preparation for the storm

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Hurricane and Storm Shutters in Gulf Shores Alabama

Friday, November 5th, 2010

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.

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Colonial Shutters in New Orleans, Louisiana

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

When New Orleans was nearly wiped from the map by Hurricane Katrina, the whole world watched in horror. It was a natural disaster of almost biblical proportions, and it brought out both the good and the bad in people’s characters. We saw how failure to act caused horrifying devastation, and we also saw people open their homes and their hearts to refugees from the storm. Hurricane Katrina was the costliest natural disaster and one of the five deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States.

The most severe loss of life occurred in New Orleans, which flooded as the levee system catastrophically failed, in many cases hours after the storm had moved inland. The hurricane protection failures in New Orleans prompted a lawsuit against the US Army Corps of Engineers, the builders of the levee system. Responsibility for the failures and flooding was found to be the Army Corps’ fault, but the federal agency could not be held financially liable due to sovereign immunity. There was also an investigation of the responses from federal, state and local governments, resulting in the resignation of the FEMA director, and of the New Orleans Police Department Superintendent. The United States Coast Guard, National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service, on the other hand, were praised for their actions, accurate forecasts and the lead time they provided.

It was human error and shortsightedness that caused the levees to fail, and five years later, thousands of displaced residents in Mississippi and Louisiana are still living in temporary accommodations. Homes are being rebuilt, and people are preparing this time. Katrina is still fresh in their minds, and they are making sure to equip their homes with protection from the storm.

New Orleans is an old city, and some care is being taken to keep the city as charming as it once was. There are a lot of historic buildings that survived the storm, as well. Hurricane shutters are relatively inexpensive, and they are your best defense against the high winds and wind-borne debris of the storm. To retain the city’s old, Southern charm, Colonial shutters are the most popular style in the New Orleans area. They resemble the old-world style shutters, and still have the impact resistance and wind protection of modern hurricane shutters. Colonial shutters are patterned after the original wooden shutters of gracious New Orleans. When opened, they provide you with light and air-flow, and closed they provide your home with all the protection that you need against the high winds of the storm.

Whether you decide on roll-down shutters, accordion shutters, Bahama shutters or the traditional Colonial shutters of the area, if you live in New Orleans, they are a necessity. While the levees have been rebuilt and the city is much more protected from flooding, you need wind protection and impact resistant coverings on your doors and windows. Make your home safer today, and install storm shutters.

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Hurricane Season 2010 is Upon Us

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
It was the summer of 2004 in the Southwest Florida city of Cape Coral where I first witnessed the sheer power and havoc of Category 3 Hurricane. By the time Hurricane Charley turned into nothing more than an everyday thunderstorm it had cut a swath through North Captiva Island (a barrier island off the cost of Cape Coral and Fort Myers) and decimated the neighboring city of Punta Gorda. Amongst the damage the storm had wrought was a five-story hotel on the banks of the Peace River, laid to waste. Only rubble remained.
Since Hurricane Andrew in 1992 the State of Florida has adjusted building code to make residential and commercial buildings less susceptible to such damage caused by hurricanes. These changes to building code include raising the level of grade on which a building foundation can sit to prevent flooding in low lying areas and further strengthening joists and rafters in homes and buildings to prevent wind damage. Today most buildings constructed in Florida after 1992 are rated to withstand the 150 MPH-plus winds of a category 5 hurricane.
Increasingly, however, reports indicate that most damage and deaths caused by hurricane force winds are a result of flying debris.  There are any number of objects left un-tethered that can strike the windows and sliding glass doors of your home. Situations like this can place your family in danger of being injured by way of broken glass and the flying objects themselves. Your home can be left at risk to further wind, weathering and water damage and ultimately leaving it unsecure in a storm’s aftermath.
One way to prevent this kind damage and to keep your family safe is to install a Hurricane Shutter system for your windows and glass doors. Hurricane Shutters provide excellent protection to any manner of dangerous debris that can cause damage to your home and family. Hurricane Shutters are a low cost way of increasing your peace of mind and increase the value of your home. More and more, in new home construction, contractors are offering options that include the convenience accordion shutters and roll down shutters or the time-tested protection of removable storm panels, or even the aesthetic protection of Bahama or Colonial shutters. Impact-resistant windows can even be retrofitted to your home.
As the Atlantic Hurricane Season approaches your family’s safety and security are at risk. Installing shudders is the best way to protect your house and home, and to keep and increase its value over time.

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