Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States of America and the largest city in the state of Texas. Houston’s economy has a large business enterprise foundation and is a leading center for building oilfield equipment, and only New York City is home to more Fortune 500 company headquarters within the city limits.
Houston has a humid, sub-tropical climate, and is a coastal town with a long history of being struck by hurricanes. Hurricane season begins on June 1st and continues through November 30. On average, several hurricanes hit the Gulf Coast every year during this period.
In June of 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dropped more than forty inches of rain on Houston and the surrounding area, causing the worst flooding in the city’s history. The tropical storm cost Texas billions of dollars in damage and killed 20 people.
In August of 2005, Houston provided shelter to more than one hundred and fifty thousand people from New Orleans who were escaping from the devastation that was Hurricane Katrina. One month later, in the aftermath of Katrina and gripped by the panic that the devastating hurricane had caused in the country, approximately two and a half million Houston area residents evacuated the city when Hurricane Rita approached the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Rita caused very little damage to the Houston area, however. The hurricane evacuation in Houston was the largest in the history of the entire United States.
Because of the frequent hurricanes and tropical storms that batter the coast, Houston residents should be vigilant in protecting their homes from damage caused by storms. Most homes have to employ more than one type of shutter because of the way the house is designed (especially if the owners have to retro-fit their home), and it is not uncommon to several different types throughout. Your home might have Bahama shutters, Colonial shutters, or accordion shutters on the windows, and roll-down shutters on the sliding glass doors and regular entrances.
Unprotected windows and doors are the most endangered points of entry during the high winds and rain of the hurricane. Some people cover their windows with plywood, but this doesn’t give them very much protection. The special design features of hurricane shutters can significantly increase the safety of your home, and reduce your home’s vulnerabilities during a hurricane or tropical storm. Hurricane shutters provide the homeowner with peace of mind, whether you ride out the storm at home, or if you make the decision to evacuate during a storm.
