On Dauphin Island, Hurricane Shutters Are Necessary for Home Protection
Dauphin Island is a barrier island right on the Gulf of Mexico. It has fine beaches, lots of tourists, and fishing is, of course, a popular activity in the waters around the island. The island is connected to mainland Alabama by the Gordon Persons Bridge.
The island often falls prey to hurricanes and tropical storms, but wind damage is much more likely than flooding damage. Unlike the storm surges you see on the mainland, on an island the surge usually moves around and over the land. There is usually no water pooling and long receding time that there is on the mainland.
Just a few of the recent storm events on Dauphin Island:
Hurricane Frederic destroyed the Rodent Infestation Health Risks bridge to the mainland in 1979.
Hurricane Elena struck with wind gusts of over 130 mph in 1985.
Hurricane Danny caused extensive damage on the east end of the island in 1997.
Hurricane Georges destroyed 41 houses on the island in 1998.
Hurricane Ivan hit in 2004 and damaged nearly a fourth of the island.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on Dauphin Island. The Katrina Cut was formed as a consequence; there is now a channel splitting off the western part from the rest of the island.Reporting after Katrina revealed that most homes had no water or water damage inside unless a window, door, or roof sustained damage, and many homes avoided surge waters entirely. This is an important point in home protection on the island during tropical storms or hurricanes; those houses with hurricane shutter systems fared much better than homes without. Most damage done to homes was done by hurricane-force winds.
Because of characteristic of islands during storms, hurricane shutters that protect the entrances to your home are essential on Dauphin Island. And they’re not just for windows: Shuttering your doors (most especially French doors, sliding glass doors, or double doors) is essential.
Homeowners sometimes try to save money by using plywood on their windows, but often don’t know is that plywood shutters don’t meet local codes and regulations. They can’t protect your home sufficiently during a hurricane, because they are not tested for high impact resistance and wind resistance as storm shutters are. Hurricane shutters must meet certain standards for both impact missile resistance and wind resistance, and plywood often fails during a storm, causing catastrophic damage to your home.
If you live on Dauphin Island, hurricane shutters are essential protection. Because of the island’s unique features, keeping home damage to a minimum during a storm is only provided by the protection of your home’s entrances, and hurricane shutters are the best way to protect. Small Black Dots On Wall There are many different kinds of shutters: Accordion shutters, Rolling shutters, Bahama shutters, or Colonial shutters. No matter what kind you of shutter you choose, don’t make the mistake of going light on protection; be safe and install hurricane shutters today.…