Glass Block Blogger

Hurricane Season is Here

New York, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia

“Is this 1950?” This was a rhetorical question asked by a TV weather professional recently while talking about Irene, our first serious hurricane threat to the United States for 2011.

Why did he mention 1950 rather than 2005? After all, 2005 was the year we had Katrina and Rita, to name only two of the seven major hurricane’s that year.

The reason may be because the first hurricane in 1950 ran up the East coast causing heavy flooding even in New York City, just like Irene seems to want to do.

Another reason may be that 1950 still holds the record of being the most intense hurricane season spawning eight major hurricanes. 2005 comes in second with seven hurricanes in a single season.

But, maybe the main reason for the reference to that historic year is really because of the current NOAA forecast for 2011. In this forecast, 12 to 18 named storms are expected to occur during this hurricane season, with a prediction that 6 to 10 of them may become hurricanes. This season could rival that historic year.

Also stated in the report;

“The tornadoes that devastated the South and the large amount of flooding we’ve seen this spring should serve as a reminder that disasters can happen anytime and anywhere…” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate.

Yes, disasters can happen anytime and we should be prepared. There are things that can be done. One thing that people consider is building a Safe Room or reinforcing their home’s exterior. In doing this, or any remodeling project, be sure to use materials that meet high standards. This is the first line of defense against extreme weather conditions.

In a previous post on this Blog we discussed Glass Block as an excellent building material that stands up to extreme weather conditions. (Check out the post to see the missile impact test video) The LightWise Architectural Tornado and Hurricane Resistant window, as an example, has successfully passed the highest standards of performance for FEMA 361 “Design and Construction Guidance for Community Safe Rooms”. The window provides effective protection against air pressure and flying debris caused by tornado-force winds and meets the large missile impact tests referenced in the International Building Code and Dade County Approval Protocols.

Call us to discuss this hurricane resistant building material and how it can fit into your home project. We have over 20 years of experience and we love to share our knowledge. This hurricane season will be with us for a while and extreme weather will always be here. Let’s prepare.