Hurricane season is underway, and we’ve already begun to feel it as tropical storms begin to make their way across the state. Whether you’ve lived here your entire life or just moved, you’re probably already familiar with the potentially destructive power that hurricanes bring to South Florida. Hurricanes carry a number of potential dangers with them that you need to be aware of throughout hurricane season 2022. These include, but are not limited to:
Flash Floods
Hurricanes bring with them torrential downpours that seemingly never stop. Typically, a hurricane will dump 6 to 12 inches of rain over large areas. This leads to flash floods, or floods that can happen in a matter of seconds, causing severe damage everywhere they go. Slower storms can lead to major flooding as they move across the state. As South Florida is at sea level, it’s very easy for areas near the coast to begin flooding quickly.
Heavy Winds
The most common occurrence during these storms, hurricanes bring wind speeds anywhere between 74 miles per hour to speeds that exceed 155 miles per hour. Hurricanes are rated on the Saffir-Simpson scale, from Category 1 through Category 5. These wind speeds can cause severe damage to homes, fences, trees, exterior furniture, etc. Your home’s standard windows will likely shatter under the pressure of high winds.
Thrown Debris
During a hurricane, the high wind speeds can pick up items outside such as patio furniture, tree branches, and other items left outside and throw them around, potentially causing even more damage to the exterior of your home. Exposed windows during hurricane season 2022 can be shattered by thrown debris debris, leaving the interior of your home open to the elements.
Storm Surges
During a hurricane, South Florida is likely to experience storm surges. These storm surges are caused by the atmospheric pressure change that comes with such a massive storm. Storm surges are incredibly dangerous, as high winds shove water toward the coast, leading to serious flooding along the coast as well. Storm surges can drag anything and anyone into the water, so they must be avoided at all costs during a major hurricane.
Downed Power Lines
During and following the hurricane, power lines can be downed due to heavy winds destroying the cables. These downed power lines are incredibly dangerous, and should be avoided at all costs. These power lines still carry high levels of electricity, and can fall in stagnant water following the rainfall of the Hurricane. You should stay inside at all costs and avoid downed power lines.
Hurricanes present unique and unpredictable dangers, but you can defend against them. This hurricane season, protect your home from heavy winds and thrown debris with impact windows. MPACT Windows has been providing South Florida homeowners with the peace of mind to weather any storm that comes our way. Simply contact us online to take the first steps toward securing your home’s impact windows today!
