Nature’s fury, as they call it, can describe any destructive act from the natural world. Many of these incidents may threaten property, lives, or both, and the most part there is no real way to prevent them from happening. Earthquakes, flash floods, tornadoes and hurricanes, tsunamis, and avalanches may all be considered “nature’s fury,” and scientists such as geologists and meteorologists are always hard at work studying them. While no one can prevent a hurricane from forming, modern science allows us to better predict the timing and path of a hurricane, and this may make evacuation efforts and storm warnings much more accurate.
But while people may evacuate or take shelter from an oncoming hurricane, what about the buildings? A hotel or skyscraper can’t be moved out of the way, so architects and engineers can design them to better endure a storm. Glass door systems with glazed glass, hurricane proof sliding glass doors, and hurricane resistant windows are often the best line of defense against hurricanes in terms of property damage. Sliding glass door manufacturers in Miami and the Caribbean may provide these hurricane impact doors and windows to construction crews, allowing any tall building to survive such a storm. A construction crew manager may look up “miami impact doors suppliers nearby” to find wholesale producers of such products. A search like “miami impact doors” can also be done with a purchasing agent, a professional who may negotiate large purchases on a client’s behalf. A purchasing agent searching “miami impact doors wholesale” may look for the best products for the best price for a client in preparation for hurricane season.
The Power of Hurricanes
Even smaller hurricanes are capable of great destruction, and hurricanes are capable of strong winds and heavy rains, resulting in floods and wind-blown debris and broken trees. Meteorologists are tracking these storms carefully, and records show that from 1901 to 2000, a total of 158 hurricanes struck the United States. Florida alone was hit with 57 of them, and another 26 arrived on the shores of Texas. Among these 20th century hurricanes, Hurricane Andrew was one of the most powerful, and this category 5 storm ravaged Miami back in 1992. Hurricane Andrew was also an example of how hurricanes can spawn tornadoes during their lifetime, and Andrew created 62 tornadoes in total.
Trends and statistics suggest that now in the 21st century, hurricanes are becoming even more powerful and frequent than ever. This may be due to climate change, according to many experts, due to a warming of the world’s oceans. Hurricane Irma may act as evidence of this trend, as this 2017 hurricane stands as the most powerful Atlantic hurricane on record. This mammoth storm contained an incredible seven trillion watts of energy and had 185 MPH winds for 37 hours. During its lifetime, this storm devastated Puerto Rico and Barbuda, damaging over 90% of the structures in Barbuda and leaving 60% of the people there homeless. Storms of this scale may strike again, so construction crews are getting ready.
Tough Glass for the Job
Cities may prepare for hurricanes by erecting levees to contain rising flood waters, as well as using elevated foundations to minimize flooding in buildings. Construction crews along the Florida coast may use specialized, hurricane resistant windows and sliding glass doors. As mentioned earlier, a construction project manager may look up “miami impact doors and windows” to find local wholesalers who can provide this hardware for a project. Not only that, but when a person purchases an older building in hurricane-prone areas, they may want to inspect all the hardware. If the building has old and shabby windows and sliding glass door systems, it may be time to hire contractors to install new ones before a hurricane hits.
Windows and glass doors with a glaze system of +105/-130 can endure hurricane winds in excess of 100 MPH without shattering, and these windows may also allow flying debris to bounce right off of them. Otherwise, if an ordinary window shatters during a hurricane, flying glass may shred the building’s interior, and the open window frame allows rain and wind to devastate the interior. Normal glass windows or sliding doors may shatter due to extreme air pressure differences as a hurricane passes over it, too.
