No one can actually prevent a natural disaster or a powerful storm, but “Nature’s fury,” as they call it, can be factored into modern construction. Buildings near fault lines have the right foundations and structure to resist earthquakes, such as near the San Andreas fault and across much of Japan. Meanwhile, many buildings are built on an elevated foundation along with other anti-flooding measures to prevent major property damage. And what is more, many buildings along the American east coast, especially Florida, are built with hurricanes in mind. These powerful storms cannot be prevented or diverted, and buildings cannot be simply moved out of their way. Instead, contractors may contact sliding glass door manufacturers and impact window manufacturers to have hurricane proof windows and glass doors installed on a building. These hurricane proof windows and doors have specialized glazes on them to resist powerful winds and the trauma of windblown debris striking them during a hurricane. What is there to know about hurricane proof windows and hurricanes along the east coast?
All About Hurricanes
Hurricanes rank among the most powerful and devastating storms known to meteorology, and while such storms can’t be dissipated at will or diverted from their path, meteorologists are always hard at work studying them so that evacuations and warnings can be made with greater accuracy. The best countermeasures to an incoming hurricane are to evacuate all the people in that area and build structures that can resist the winds, rain, and windblown debris that hurricanes bring to bear.
In the 20th century, a total of 158 different hurricanes struck the American east coast, and Florida alone saw 57 of them, and Texas received 26 more. And what is more, a general trend shows that hurricanes in the 21st century are even more powerful and frequent than ever before, and many experts attribute this to climate change. What can be said for certain is that these storms have a lot of power, and Hurricane Irma in 2017 was a fine example of this. This category 5 storm was the most powerful Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, and it boasted 185 MPH winds for 37 hours and a staggering seven trillion watts of energy. During its lifetime, this storm devastated 90% of the buildings on Barbados, leaving 60% of the local population homeless. And in that same year, 10 different tropical storms in a row developed into hurricanes, a feat not seen since 1893.
Even the smaller hurricanes can be devastating, and they are even known to spawn tornadoes in some cases. Back in 1992, Hurricane Andrew created 62 tornadoes after it arrived on land, causing further damage. Hurricane season runs from June to November along the American east coast every year, and even the smaller ones bring powerful winds, flooding, and windblown debris. And as mentioned earlier, buildings cannot be simply moved out of the way, so they are constructed to resist those hurricanes and remain standing while minimizing property damage. Installing the proper glass doors and windows is a fine way to do this.
Hurricane Proof Windows
Many buildings may be constructed with tough walls that resist winds and windblown debris, and they may have anti-flooding construction, too. But most buildings have many windows in them, and during a hurricane, those windows (and sliding glass doors) are a major liability. Winds and debris can blast them apart and allow rain and wind to get inside, causing extensive property damage (and threatening the lives of anyone inside). Broken glass may get everywhere, causing further damage. But Florida condos and apartments can’t simply be built without windows, so contractors will contact suppliers to provide hurricane proof windows and glass doors instead, such as during a construction project. From the start, a building may be prepared for these storms.
Such windows and glass doors have an impact-resistant glazing system of +105/-130, allowing them to endure winds in excess of 100 MPH, not to mention flying debris. Such debris might bounce right off them, in fact. With these durable windows and doors, a building won’t allow rain, debris, or wind to get inside the building, keeping the interior safe. And if an older building is purchased, its old windows may be refitted with the newest, best models of hurricane proof windows and glass doors.