Our Story
In October 2012, we lived on Long Beach Island, N.J., and lost our house to Superstorm Sandy. We’ll never forget the feeling of driving back into our storm-ravaged neighborhood to see the total devastation of our greatest asset – our home.
Over the next year, we built a new home and moved back into our neighborhood. In October 2013, one year later after Sandy, another storm formed in the same area of the Caribbean where Sandy originated. Meteorologists predicted it would further develop and strike the Jersey coastline with winds of 130 mph.
Fortunately, that storm got pushed out to sea and spared New Jersey coastal residents from another devastating storm.
The fact is, even after rebuilding from Sandy, the windows in our new home were not strong enough to sustain winds at 130 mph. Winds at this speed would shatter glass and allow wind driven rain to enter the home resulting in interior water damage and flooding.
What We Learned As a Result
1. You may be more at risk than you know.
There are more than 450 coastal counties in the U.S. and the population density is four times higher in these counties than elsewhere. Most coastal homes are built up on pilings due to flood zone requirements and elevated home construction to 30 feet or higher causes window exposure to powerful winds to be magnified. In addition, coastal areas are subject to other storms such as Nor’easters and blizzards and can suffer damage from strong winds and flying debris. Most local building codes do not mandate the use of impact resistant windows so a large unmet need exists for another type of window protection system to reduce the risk of damage for homeowners.
2. You may not be as protected as you think.
Most homeowners are not aware of the wind speeds their windows can tolerate in severe storms and may have a false sense of security. And, even though your home may not be located on an ocean front lot exposed to the water directly, hurricane and tropical storm winds can travel many miles inland and still cause severe damage once the storm makes landfall. Homeowners should be aware that most building companies will not use impact resistant glass, unless specified, in new construction as a means of keeping home prices lower and more competitive.