Hurricane & Disaster Resistant Construction

The Intense Portion of the Season Begins & Airliners

2010-08-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

With Danielle and Earl developing we are into the most intense portion of the hurricane season. I looks like Danielle will miss the US coast but might hit Bermuda. The forecast track for Earl is further south and more westerly, so it looks like it may hit the eastern seaboard. This is the period of time when historically the most severe hurricanes form and threaten property. Keep a close watch on the tropics.

While I was driving down I-75 the other day, I passed a major airport where airliners were taking off and landing. It occurred to me that when many people hear about wind speed in a hurricane, they don't really realize how powerful it is. Consider that an airliner lifts off at about 140 mph - that's a category 3 or 4 hurricane gust. If wind speed can lift an airliner at that speed, imagine what it can do to your home, particularly if it is not designed to withstand those forces. The news media discusses a storm category in matter of fact terms, but if you've ever been in a hurricane you understand that the power of those storms is beyond most people's understanding.

2010 Hurricane Season Outlook

2010-08-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

Last year the predictions for the hurricane season were way overstated. For a number of reasons I thought the season would not be as severe as predicted and that proved correct. This year however, I believe the predictions for a severe season are likely more accurate. La Nina has developed which typically reduces wind shear compared to last year. Surface temperatures in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico are quite high, which will provide fuel for tropical storms.

Typically when a storm is named, we see a significant increase in our web site traffic (tarponcoastbuilders.com). It is fascinating that when a tropical storm is active, people start thinking about disaster resistant construction. This year I expect our web site to be quite busy in the August - November period. The Tropical Meteorology Project at Colorado State University updated it's June forecast and it remained unchanged - 18 named storms and 10 hurricanes and 5 major hurricanes. NOAA's forecast is comparable to the Colorado State prediction. The Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies at Florida State University has predicted 17 named storms.

By comparison, 2004 had 15 named storms. Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne all hit Florida, causing significant damage. If this year is anything like 2004, 2005 and 2008 we will see lots of tropical severe weather. The average year has 11 named storms, so if we reach the 18 predicted it will be a very active year. Alex was the second strongest June hurricane on record.

There are many ways to improve the protection of your home from natural disasters. I will begin covering some of them (both new construction and retrofit) in this blog. If you have questions don't hesitate to post them.

Opening Protection

2009-06-30T06:42:00.000-07:00

I've had many people ask about accomplishing their hurricane mitigation activities in stages. While it is preferrable to immediately do everything possible to protect your home from wind events, often it is not economically feasible to do so. The rule of thumb in protecting openings is to start with the larget opening and work to the smaller. For most homes, the largest opening is the garage door. There are a number of ways to protect the garage door opening.

The optimal solution is to install a new garage door. There are models currently available that have been tested at or above the maximum Florida wind zone requirements. In the past wind resistant garage doors have required vertical bracing which had to be manually installed prior to a wind event. Most manufacturers now offer doors that do not require vertical bracing, which makes them much more convenient. When you replace your door, I recommend you use the highest wind rated door available; the small difference in cost over a door rated for a lower wind zone is worthwhile to add additional protection for your family and home.

You can also shutter your existing garage door with a number of different products, such as screens, aluminum or steel panels, lexan panels, plastic panels, accordian shutters or roll-down shutters. Many of these options are expensive and some may even exceed the cost of a new wind rated door.

2009 Hurricane Season

2009-05-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

The 2009 hurricane season is almost here. Are you ready? There are many improvements that will strengthen your home in preparation for potential storm and wind events. Of course nothing is as effective as designing a home to withstand natural disasters when it is built. This blog will discuss not only improvements to existing homes, but design criteria for new homes. Your questions and comments are welcome, and I will try to answer all general interest questions on the blog.