Despite many modern advances in technology and science, some parts of the Earth cannot be tamed, so building contractors are tasked with designing buildings and using construction materials that can resist powerful natural phenomena such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and even earthquakes and blizzards. No one can prevent these storms from happening, but commercial buildings in areas prone to such natural disasters can be built with impact resistant windows, hurricane sliding doors, high impact windows, and more to help endure the effects of these devastating storms and other natural events. No contractor wants their condo or apartment blasted apart or hollowed out by a hurricane, so contractors and engineers can develop impact resistant windows, impact sliding doors, and more to help a building survive storms such as hurricanes (common Florida) or tornadoes (common in the Midwest). A contractor in Florida, for example, may look for jobs where impact resistant windows are called for, and hurricane glass windows can keep a building standing and protect human life inside. Knowing how powerful and common hurricanes may be can help residents of the East Coast prepare better for these storm when they arrive.

On Hurricanes

These are powerful storms caused when the sun heats large patches of the world’s oceans, and meteorologists have worked hard for many years to understand these storms and what they are capable of, so that coastal residents can better prepare countermeasures such as evacuation drills and using impact resistant windows and other construction materials for condos, apartments, office buildings, and more. Hurricanes are powerful not just because of their famously strong wind, but also wind-tossed debris and heavy rain and flooding once the hurricane reaches the coast. A single hurricane is capable of stirring up millions of square miles of air and it can also deposit over 2.4 trillion gallons of rainwater in a single day, an impressive amount. From July 1 to November 30, the East Coast faces its hurricane season, and residents there must be ready for powerful storms. In the 20th century alone, over 158 hurricanes struck the East Coast, and many of them struck Florida in particular. Hurricane Andrew, in 1992, spawned a number of tornadoes, which hurricanes have been known to do, and this particular hurricane created 62 of them. And more recently, Hurricane Irma stood as the most powerful Atlantic hurricane on record, and this Category 5 storm had winds exceeding speeds of 185 miles for over 37 hours. What can be done about such storms and their extensive property damage?

Impact Resistant Windows and More

Due to the constant threat of hurricanes, contractors in Florida know what they are dealing with and how hurricanes can be factored into their construction methods. In storms such as tornadoes and hurricanes, windows are often a weak point in structures, and windows can be blasted apart with either significant changes in air pressure or being struck by flying debris, and broken glass can harm anyone who is nearby. Broken windows also allow winds, rain, and windblown debris to get into a building and wreak havoc, and the same may be true for sliding glass doors. Therefore, contractors in Florida use impact resistant windows and glass to help prevent flying debris from shattering this glass and exposing a building’s interior to the storm. Strong windows can also endure direct exposure to the storm’s strong winds, and sliding doors can have similar technology to prevent damage.

Many new buildings constructed in Florida will probably have the most recent tech for impact resistant windows and sliding doors, and they may resist ever-stronger winds and windblown debris striking them. Older buildings may have windows that no longer meet current standards or may not have impact resistant glass at all, so a concerned building manager, such as one in Miami, Florida, may contact local construction and contractor crews to remove the hurricane-vulnerable windows and install the newest models of high impact glass. This can pay off in a big way whenever a hurricane or other tropical storm strikes, and a building can be saved from a lot of property damage thanks to its wind and debris resistant windows. Condos, apartments, skyscrapers, and more might use this tech to stay safe.