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2016 Hurricanes and Impact Windows: Are You Prepared?

2016_Hurricanes_and_Impact_Windows_Are_You_Prepared.jpgWe all know what time of the year is approaching-- hurricane season. The season kicks-off in less than 2 months, June 1st, and lasts until November 30th. If you recall 20 years ago, hurricane Bertha plowed over North Carolina and Georgia resulting in 12 deaths and $250-270 million in property damage. Hurricane Bertha was 20 years ago, yet it still foreshadows future hurricanes, such as hurricane Katrina which caused more than $105 billion in property damage and sustained wind gusts of 175 mph.

This Hurricane Season

From Bertha to Katrina, what will the weather patterns be for this year’s hurricane season? Well, predictions are expecting this hurricane season to be more intense than last year's; according to Accuweather reports, the 2016 hurricane season is predicted to encounter:

  • 14 named storms
  • 8 of which have the potential for becoming hurricanes, and
  • 4 of which that can potentially become a category 3 with up to 111 mph winds

Accuweather report explains their predictions, saying:

“... If the cooler water migrates southward across the eastern Atlantic, then westward into tropical breeding grounds, it will lower sea-surface temperatures over the region where 85% of Atlantic tropical systems develop… If this happens, the pattern of warming waters that has been occurring since 1995 will reverse, leading to a period of cooling... When La Nina patterns occur, less wind shear is found in the developmental regions of the Atlantic, increasing the potential for a higher-than-normal amount of tropical storms.”

This cold spot in the ocean raises the question of how intense is this hurricane season expected to be? Based on those current weather predictions-- which indicate severe inclement storms this season-- there is no finite answer; however, the best approach is a proactive one. It’s never too early to start protecting your investment, your safe place, your home, and your family. The question is where do you start -- plywood, shutters, shingles?

Where to Start Safe-proofing Your Home

Maybe you wait until the last minute, the day before the storm, and bust your back nailing plywood to your windows and doors to help reinforce them from being targets from flying debris? Safe-proofing your home shouldn’t be a hassle, aesthetically unappealing or keep you locked in a box.

While the roof of your home is its 1st line of defense against a hurricane’s impact, the integrity of your home functions as a system; you have to address other components of your home that are targets for flying debris during hurricanes for true disaster resilience. This includes your:

  • Walls
  • Windows, and
  • Doors

If any of those components gets broken, then your home is subject to being pressurized by wind gusts and can be pulled apart. Although, you don’t need to go through the hassle of boarding up your home anymore-- you just need stronger windows and doors. Through advanced technology and tests came impact windows which are designed to handle all kinds of debris that comes their way-- plus, they are an easy starting point for safe-proofing your home.  

Are You Prepared?

Unfortunately, there aren’t any infrastructure products designed to be hurricane proof-- yet. However, there are ways to make your home’s infrastructure hurricane resistant, and it’s never too early to start protecting your home from this year’s hurricane season.

It can help save you from having to file insurance claims, repair costs, water damage, and the list continues. Replace your weak windows with any Bertha™ impact window to withstand the penetration of air and water this hurricane season. It’s smarter to build forward than to rebuild an unstable structure.

Download the Full-Line EAS and EMS Hurricane Product Brochures