What Are the Best Hurricane Protection Measures?

Homeowners in Florida should always be thinking about how they can best protect their homes and their families from the worst effects of hurricane season. To really keep what you love safe, it’s important to be proactive. Find the best hurricane protection measures, and you can help minimize the risk of the worst happening the next time a major hurricane at or above Category 3 in strength hits the Tampa Bay area.

Remember, it’s not a matter of if a hurricane will hit Florida, but when. In addition to being the lightning capital of the world, Florida sees more hurricanes than any other part of the United States. 

As noted by Finder, roughly “40.2% of all U.S. hurricanes” made landfall in Florida. That’s nearly twice as many as the second-place state of Texas (which had 21.26% of all U.S. hurricanes make landfall there).

To live in Florida is to live with hurricanes.

But, what are the best hurricane protection measures to use for your home? Naturally, impact windows are on the list, but they’re one of many upgrades to make. Let’s go over the most important and effective hurricane protection measures every homeowner should take ASAP before another major hurricane hits Florida:

Best Hurricane Protection Measure #1: Roof-to-Wall Anchoring

One of the most important upgrades to make as soon as possible is to reinforce the connections between your building’s foundation and its walls, then its walls and your roof (as well as between floors if you have a multistory home).

That’s because, during a major hurricane, strong winds can actually cause a home’s roof to tear off due to the pressure and lifting force applied to it. Once the roof is gone, wind can start acting on the interior walls of your home. Additionally, there will no longer be a barrier between your home and the driving rain hurricanes bring, which can result in massive amounts of water damage.

Reinforcing wall-to-roof connections helps to significantly mitigate this threat. Which is why it is one of the top-rated hurricane protection measures in Florida Foundation’s mitigation handbook!

As they state in their booklet: “By anchoring the walls to the foundation, the first floor to the second floor and the walls to the roof, you establish a connection of roof to foundation and your home can resist the various forces that exist when winds push on your roof and walls.”

This creates a continuous load path that prevents any one part of the structure from having to bear the wind load entirely independently of the rest. This increases structural stability and improves your home’s ability to withstand major wind forces.

The major challenge is that this is easiest to do on new construction homes or during a major renovation (such as during a roof replacement). To reinforce connections in existing structures may require additional work and labor to ensure a sufficiently strong connection to create a continuous load path.

Best Hurricane Protection Measure #2: Window Opening Protection

Window openings are one of the biggest potential weak points in your home’s wind mitigation strategy. Especially if your windows aren’t impact-rated. Strong winds can cause window glass to crack or even push/pull a window straight out of the opening if it isn’t properly installed.

The problem is that, when a window breaks or fails, it allows the winds from a hurricane to act directly on the interior of the home. This creates an instantaneous pressure surge that can buckle walls and push against the underside of the roof, making it easier for the roof to come off completely. Once a window breaks the risk of a total structural collapse rises astronomically.

So, protecting those openings is a critical wind mitigation improvement. There are several methods of protecting your window openings:

• Impact Window Replacement. The most consistent and reliable method is to replace your windows with impact-rated models that can withstand hurricane conditions. Generally considered the best because they provide 24/7 protection without requiring you to do anything beyond keeping them shut to protect against hurricanes.
• Hurricane Shutters. A secondary system installed over a window that deploys a cover (typically metal) over the window opening to protect the window underneath from direct exposure to wind, rain, and flying storm debris. Strong and useful, but may compromise the window’s aesthetic appeal and it does require manual deployment prior to a storm hitting, though it’s easier than applying temporary barriers like plywood.
• Boarding Windows. This is a temporary protective measure where boards (typically plywood) or even fabric tarps are nailed over the window to prevent wind, rain, and storm debris from making direct contact. Requires a lot of manual work to apply the covering and much less secure than a shutter. Often used to protect homes as a last resort when no other wind mitigation measures have been applied ahead of time.

Of these, impact window replacement is favored, as it provides permanent protection at all hours of the day. This serves additional purposes beyond hurricane protection.

Best Hurricane Protection Measure #3: Water Barriers/Roof Repairs

Wind isn’t the only hazard that a home faces during a hurricane. Water damage can be an enormous risk for any home in a major storm. If water leaks into the home and collects between the walls in unseen spaces, it can lead to other problems like wood rot, pest infestation, and compromised insulation. 

The three most common points of entry for water during a storm are the windows, the doorways, and the roof of a home. 

A roof inspection is an important step of the water barrier check. If there are any missing roof shingles/tiles or warped boards, they should be replaced as soon as possible before there’s a storm of any kind, let alone a hurricane.

If you can’t remember the last time you’ve performed a major roof repair or replacement, it may be time to do so. Some insurers recommend replacing asphalt shingle roofs every 15-20 years, though roofs in Florida may need more frequent repair/replacement due to the high level of cyclonic weather patterns (i.e., hurricanes and tropical storms) that impact the region.

As for window water barriers, it’s important to ensure that you have windows that have passed ASTM E331 or E1105 testing that verifies their water impermeability. If you have older windows, check for issues like worn or damaged caulking and replace the caulk if needed. This can help prevent water from leaking into your home.

Doors, especially inswing doors, can be susceptible to water leaks if there’s significant storm surge or flooding in your area. While not perfect, there are some measures you can take to improve your doorway’s resistance to water intrusion. 

Applying sandbags can be a good way to prevent minor flooding by blocking water from reaching the doorway, but when the water gets above a certain level, it may overflow and get trapped behind the barrier. 

For a more permanent solution, consider getting an impact door with a threshold and seal designed to resist flooding even during driving wind and rain where significant pressure gets applied to the door. Outswing doors are particularly good for this, as external pressure just pushes the door into the seal.

Best Hurricane Protection Measure #4: Yard Maintenance

Yes, yard maintenance can be a component of your hurricane protection strategy! Loose objects scattered throughout your front and back yard can be picked up and thrown when hurricane-force winds blow through your area.

These objects can become missiles that impact the side of your home and your windows. The larger the object’s surface area is in comparison to its weight, the easier it is for wind to pick it up and throw it.

So, things like plastic chairs, tables, and umbrellas are all highly prone to being picked up during a hurricane. Meanwhile, small, dense objects are less likely to be lifted and thrown… yet small rocks and other dense objects are still a threat during a major hurricane.

That’s because, while less likely to get picked up, when a hurricane is strong enough to lift and move them, they can hit with much greater force than less dense objects. Also, when wind speeds reach those levels, the larger, less dense objects will fly faster, meaning they hit with more force, too.

So, basic yard maintenance ahead of a storm’s arrival, where you pick up any loose debris or yard furniture, can be an important part of your home’s hurricane survival strategy. While your home may still face debris carried in from farther away, there will be more barriers between your home and that roaming debris, so impact chances are reduced (i.e., you’re not as likely to get hit since other houses, fences, etc. are in the way).

Get the Best Hurricane Protection with Impact Windows and Doors!

Looking to harden your home against hurricanes while also improving energy efficiency, curb appeal, and soundproofing? Impact windows and doors are your best choice! 

Reach out to Karoly Windows & Doors today for a free in-home window replacement consultation. We’ll help you pick out the best hurricane protection-oriented windows and doors for your home and provide you with the most accurate quote for service in the industry. 

No games or surprise charges. Just a simple, itemized list of expenses and what you’ll get if you choose Karoly. Make your home more resistant to hurricanes with a proven and reliable impact window installer!