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.
