For many years now, engineers, architects, and meteorologists have been hard at work trying to develop newer and better ways to minimize damage to property and losses of life when a natural disaster strike. Nature’s fury, as it is sometimes known, manifests in many forms ranging from hurricane and tornadoes to volcanic eruptions, wildfires, and earthquakes. For the most part, there is no real way to prevent or redirect these calamities (wildfires being an exception), but steps can be taken to minimize the damage. When these events are accurately predicted, evacuation efforts can be planned and executed. Meanwhile, the buildings left behind will be engineered to endure natural disaster such as floods, earthquakes, and powerful storms. Hurricanes are a good example of this, and hurricane-proof buildings will have the right high impact glass doors and high impact windows fitted in. That, and elevated foundations may help flood waters pass harmlessly underneath. A sliding glass door manufacturers list may be a useful reference for a construction crew looking to install hurricane glass doors, and such a sliding glass door manufacturers list should usually be available. A sliding glass door manufacturers list list may show Florida-based companies who deal primarily in hurricane resistant glass doors and possibly even windows.
What to Know About Hurricanes
Even smaller hurricanes are quite powerful, and any hurricane will bring strong winds, rising flood waters, rain, and wind blown debris when it arrives. Overall in the 20th century, from 1901 to 2000, a total of 158 hurricanes struck the Atlantic, and Florida along was hit with 57 of them. Hurricane Andrew was among the most powerful of them, and it devastated Florida in 1992. In fact, Hurricane Andrew was a good example of how hurricanes are capable of creating tornadoes during their lifetime, and Andrew spawned 62 tornadoes in total.
Meanwhile, studies and statistics show that hurricanes are becoming even more powerful and frequent than ever now in the 21st century, and this may be due to climate change and a warming of the world’s oceans. Hurricane Irma, which formed in 2017, may act as evidence of this trend. Hurricane Irma stands as the most powerful Atlantic hurricane on record, containing an incredible seven trillion watts of energy and creating 185 MPH winds for 37 hours. During its lifetime, this juggernaut of a storm damaged or destroyed 90% of the buildings in Barbuda and left 60% of the island’s population homeless. Irma also dealt considerable damage to Puerto Rico.
It is possible that storms like this will strike again, so meteorologists and engineers alike are getting ready, not to mention construction crews along the Florida coast.
Preparing for a Hurricane
How to make a building and city safe fro hurricanes? Levees are a common step to take, walls that can help contain rising flood waters. Not to mention elevated foundations that can allow flood waters to pass right underneath. Meanwhile, construction crews operating in Florida may consult a sliding glass door manufacturers list, and do the same for windows, and look for manufacturers offering hurricane proof models. Ordinary windows and glass doors may shatter when exposed to hurricane winds, changes in air pressure, or flying debris, but this specialized glass is different. For example, glass with a glaze rated at +105/-130 can endure hurricane winds over 100 MPH in strength without breaking, and flying debris might bounce right off of them. This is important, since if a window breaks, flying glass shards may shred the building’s interior. Not to mention how the hurricane’s winds and rain will get into the building and cause further damage.
A similar idea is hurricane shutters, which come in metal or wood models. These shutters, once closed, can protect a building’s windows from breaking due to differences in air pressure. Also, when a person purchases an older building in hurricane prone areas, they may want to inspect its windows and glass doors. Shabby, older models can be replaced with the help of remodeling crews, who can install the latest and toughest hurricane proof windows and sliding glass doors. This can prove a smart investment that prevents major damage when and if a hurricane strikes the area.
