5 Myths About Hurricane Protection
Your home is your personal hurricane shelter. Have you ever thought of it that way?
Although you hope it never comes to that, it’s very much true in the event of a storm: the best hurricane protection for your family is your home. That means it is important to secure it with impact glass and storm shutters to prevent damage. If you happen to live in Florida, then you live in an area that is 40% likely to experience a hurricane, although there hasn’t been a major hurricane since 2012. Nonetheless, it is never a good idea to become complacent and forget hurricane protection. Stay vigilant, because if there’s one thing you can rely on with hurricanes, it’s that they are erratic.
Here is one way to start becoming more conscious of the possibility of a hurricane causing damage to your home and property: Dispelling myths about hurricanes.
Myth #1 Leave your windows slightly open during a hurricane
The idea of leaving your windows slightly open during hurricanes is to prevent the wind from upturning the house; to relieve the pressure inside the house and prevent the roof from blowing off. However, you can just buy straps for your roof and not have to deal with water coming into the house from the opened windows. Scientists have long since said that any roof blowing off is a freak accident and whether your windows are open or close is immaterial. The fact is, the air pressure must be lower outside the house for a roof to blow up and this is rarely the case during a hurricane.
Myth #2 Hurricane film is better than hurricane shutters
The film being sold to protect windows from damage is not better than fabric shutters. Window film does nothing to protect glass from breaking. Windows will still break unless they are impact glass, with or without the clear hurricane film. If you’re going to spend money to protect your windows, it makes sense to spend it on a product that will prevent them from breaking in the first place.
Myth #3 Anchor your house with a tie down
If the tie down anchor is set on the ground, the rains will soften the ground and loosen it. The tie down anchor will become ineffective. You are better off using straps that are attached to a concrete slab deeply embedded in a permanent structure.
Myth #4 Hurricane-tested is best material to choose
Instead of looking for products that say “hurricane-tested”, look for patents and accreditations in passing state building codes. Hurricane-tested may refer to a category 1 test which means very little if you go through a Category 3, 4, or 5.
Myth #5 If sea temperature is warm, the hurricane will be stronger
Yes, this is a factor to be considered when estimating the intensity of a hurricane, but it isn’t the only factor. In fact, storms that start or come from the sea may never reach landfall. However, this does not mean you should not bring out your fabric shutters and make time to install them properly. It is always better to be prepared than be caught off-guard.
Image Post-its courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image Swaying palm trees courtesy of Vlado / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
