15 Hurt When Ice Shatters Glass in Manhattan Atrium - NYTimes.com

15 Hurt When Ice Shatters Glass in Manhattan Atrium - NYTimes.com

Our security film would have prevented this...

124 mph Winds Hit Europe/Paris - Record HEAT in Australia

A freak storm hitting Europe is packing 124 mph hour winds as far inland as Paris. This is Category 4 Hurricane-force winds!

Over 50 people have been killed by the storm.

"Many people drowned, surprised by the rapid rise of the water," French official says...

Meanwhile, in the U.S. near Hurricane force winds were beating New Hampshire and the East Coast.

So, you think this is normal weather? Don't forget, at the same time, Australia is having the hottest summer on record in the last half century. "2009 ends Australia’s warmest decade on record, with a decadal mean temperature anomaly of +0.48°C (above the 1961-90 average). In Australia, each decade since the 1940s has been warmer than the preceding decade."

Are your windows rated to take hit by debris hurled in 100+ mph winds? Ready for the HEAT of a more intense sun burning up your energy?

Our solar security films address both issues at the same time.

Link From Chile Earthquake to Hurricane Winds in NY...

Photo: Building collapse in Chile's 8.8 Earthquake

What does Chile's 8.8 earthquake and the hurricane force winds hitting New York the past couple days have in common?

Both are examples of how our security window film protects people in crisis. It avoids glass shards injuring or killing people in an earthquake; and it keeps debris and hurricane force winds (that were hitting 90 mph in the latest NY storm) from breaching your windows. Your glass is the weakest link in your building.

Shattering glass from a burglar, or an earthquake, or from a tornado, or from hurricane-force winds are a threat to people - and opens up your building to unwanted entry, destructive water intrusion, mold, loss of data, lost productivity, months of insurance headaches and re-construction inconvenience and significant costs.

Being prepared with Armor Glass gives you, your property and your family greater security. Secure your property before one of these events invades your life and adds to your stress level.

Check it out...we give free estimates.

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | In pictures: Jakarta hotel blasts

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | In pictures: Jakarta hotel blasts

The bomb was in a car parked underneath the hotel. People were cut with flying glass. Our Armor Glass security film on the windows would have minimized the damage and injuries from glass shrapnel.

Window Losses from Storms Lead to Lost Production

We have talked about the interior damages caused when a storm like IKE blows out windows, but we haven't discussed the lost productivity which costs companies MILLIONS.

For example, after IKE, major companies were closed for days due to damages to their corporate headquarters. Companies that have Houston offices that were affected by IKE and operated with limited personnel include Anadarko Petroleum Corp (APC.N), Hess Corp (HES.N) and oil major ConocoPhillips (COP.N).

For example, this press release: "Schlumberger Ltd (SLB.N), the world's largest oilfield services company, said its corporate offices in the Galleria Area of Houston sustained wind damage and are closed until further notice, an email from a spokesman said."

And there was this: "Many energy trading floors, which expanded in recent years to capitalize on rising energy prices, were said to be working with skeleton staffs. One major oil trading operation said it had "computer issues."

"The world's largest company Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N), which owns 44-story building in downtown Houston, has shuttered its office tower and other Houston offices to nonessential personnel."

All of this damage and lost productivity could have been avoided if our security window film had been installed. For example, our film was protecting the computer servers for the University of Houston (housed next to 10' sections of glass) and their emergency operations building.

Don't wait for the next storm to take out your business to act. Not only will our film keep you operating, and safe from flying glass and water damage, but it can also cut your energy bills enough to pay for itself over time.

Global Warming Could Result in Fewer, But Stronger Hurricanes

A new study suggests that global warming aka climate change could reduce the number of hurricanes (the good news) but that the ones who occur could be stronger (the bad news).

The study estimates that future hurricane damage could be 28% HIGHER.

It is estimated that the damages from Hurricane IKE that hit Texas in 2008 was $22 billion. Add 28% to that for the next one - assuming it isn't a CAT 3 or 4, which would do even more damage than CAT 2 IKE. Katrina was a CAT 3.

I have heard estimates that the damage to Chase Bank at 600 Travis in Houston is about $40 million. Had our security film been on those windows, all of this damage would have been avoided -- because the film with attachment would have kept those windows from being sucked out even if they had been broken! The cost of installation would have been a fraction of the cost of damages, not including lost productivity, computer files destroyed, data lost, etc.

Remember the story of the three little pigs? One built a house of straw, one built a house of sticks and one built a house of bricks. Only the pig with the house of brick survived - but only if that pig had installed our security film on its windows to keep out (1) the bad wolf and (2) hurricane force winds and a breach of the windows by windborne debris that leads to roof loss in a storm!

A Professor who lives near Rice told me that their neighborhood has had a series of break ins lately - people throwing BRICKS through people's windows, then grabbing a laptop, TV, etc and dash out. (He has our film installed on his house). The good news is that our security film is Large Missile rated (4.5 lbs -- or the size of a brick hurled at the glass).

Moral: Armor Glass security film would have stopped the unemployed Big Bad Wolf from breaking into Piggie No. 3's house...not to mention protect him from future Hurricane force-winds, while saving energy (= $Money) at the same time!...

Some AMAZING Katrina Photos - Tornadoes and Tidal Wave

Above: The Sky Before Katrina Struck...


These pictures were supposedly made by a man in Magee , MS
where the eye of the storm passed thru- what an
experience. Magee is 150 miles North of Waveland, Mississippi
where the Hurricane made landfall.

The dance with Katrina, part of her beauty as she left destruction on
her exit.
They are remarkably dramatic...

The Katrina tidal wave picture (above) was supposed to have been taken from the third story balcony of Saint Stanislaus College located next door to Our Lady of the Gulf Church in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi on the morning of August 29th, 2005.

This is believed to be the initial tidal wave from Hurricane Katrina.
The tidal wave was approximately 35 to 40 feet high. When it slammed into the beach front communities of Bay Saint Louis and Waveland, Mississippi, it completely destroyed 99% of every structure along the beach for 9 miles and over a mile inland.

The destruction only started there. The flooding that continued inland destroyed the contents of all but 35 homes in these two communities of approximately 14,000 people.

These photos should be kept in mind as we approach yet another Hurricane season...

Austin Plane Crash Into IRS Building – Another Reason to Have Armor Glass Film protection

A man angry at the IRS flew a small plane into an IRS building in Austin, TX today. Eyewitnesses reported that it “blew out all the windows” and rained glass and debris on passing cars.

Ironically, we just finished a Texas Homeland Security convention in San Antonio, where Armor Glass had a booth and I had been advising government officials about our blast-rated security window film that provides protection from high impact events – from hurricane and tornado debris to a bomb blast.

Had our film been on this building, it would have not kept the plane from flying into it, or penetrating it, but it would have prevented windows from blowing out - and would have prevented glass injuries from glass shrapnel. Had the other windows stayed intact instead of blowing out, the fire would have been more contained and starved of oxygen -- instead of spreading and causing greater damage.

Ironically, my chief installer had just put security film on another IRS building in Austin a few months ago. Now you see why.

Yes, an airplane is larger than the 4.5 lb. Large Missile test (which our film passed), but this is another example how much people need Armor Glass security films to secure our buildings weakest link (its windows) from hail storms to burglars to terrorist bombs -- and flying Kamikazes.

Homeland Security

Armor Glass has a booth at the Texas Homeland Security convention, the second year in a row. We are the only ones like us there. Today we saw officials from Chambers County, who had our solar/hurricane film installed on over a dozen buildings in 2009. They commented how much money it had saved them - and that someone had already tried to breach one of the windows (unsuccessfully).

Two more days to go.

Stopping Burglars With Armor Glass Security Film

We just got a copy of this letter sent to residents of a Houston community:

"Dear Neighbors:
We are writing to notify you of two aggressive burglaries that occurred this morning and on Wednesday between 4 and 6 a.m. in the 2000 and 2100 blocks of Banks Street . In both instances, landscape bricks were thrown through windows of homes while the owners were home and sleeping. On Wednesday the burglars threw a landscape brick through the front plate glass window and absconded with a laptop that was sitting in plain view. Again this morning the burglars came in through the rear French doors of a second home using a landscape paver to break through the glass. A neighbor’s surveillance camera captured footage of two men fleeing the scene. Thankfully no one was harmed in either incident."

Our security film is anti-burglar. It is rated for a 4.5 lb missile (think brick). Some doors and windows may also need our Dow 995 anchoring to bond the film to the frame of an entry door likely to be hit by a brick-welding bandit...

We did a house in College Station where the burglars took out a 4' x 4' side window and made off with their property. The couple had a young child, and couldn't sleep until our crew showed up and did the installation.

Check us out at www.ArmorGlass.com

Hurricane Facts - One Killed 300,000 in Pakistan

Hurricane Facts with Reference:

Hurricanes didn't start having boys' names until 1979.

Most hurricanes die at sea when they pass over areas of cooler water.

In 1967, a hurricane in Texas caused more than 140 twisters.

The worst hurricane damage is often caused by a storm surge. A storm surge is like a giant wall of water pushed onshore by hurricane winds.

In 1989, Hurricane Hugo completely destroyed several forests in South Carolina.

In 1971, Hurricane Ginger lasted for over three weeks.

In 1970, a hurricane in Pakistan killed more than 300,000 people.

When a hurricane is especially devastating, its name is permanently retired and another name replaces it.

In 1944, the US Navy's Pacific fleet was crushed by Typhoon Cobra, which sank three destroyers and damaged many ships.

Bangladesh was a country that was created from a hurricane. In 1970, this region of Pakistan was struck by a cyclone and 500,000 people died. The people felt their government did not do enough to help after the disaster so in 1971, they voted to be independent of Pakistan and Bangladesh was born.

Hurricanes do not occur in the South Atlantic Ocean, where the waters are too cold for them to form.

Plants have developed different ways of protecting themselves from powerful winds. Palm trees trow mainly in tropical parts of the world where hurricanes sometimes occur. Their flexible trunks bend and spring back in high winds but rarely break.

Taping your windows in preparation for a hurricane is a waste of time and money. Tape does not strengthening the glass. Flying debris will smash a taped window as if the tape weren't there.

Hurricane Fox was the first storm to be named in an official weather bureau advisory.

Two hurricanes were named Alice in 1954. One in June and one in December.

The first hurricane with a male's name was Hurricane Bob which hit near New Orleans in July 1979.

The first hurricane to hit the American Colonies happened on August 25, 1635.

New Study: Expect Bigger Hurricanes Due to Warming

Here is a link to a new study by NOAA - the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration predicts that due to increased temperatures, we can expect BIGGER hurricanes in coming seasons. I quote:

"...recent studies that suggest the warming of the oceans in the Atlantic main development region in the 20th century is due to the increase in greenhouse gases, and in turn these warmer waters provide more fuel to the development
and intensification of hurricanes."

And this gem:

"Natural decadal variability suggests high levels of hurricane activity and U.S. landfalls for the next decade and beyond since the previous active period (1945-1970)
lasted at least 25 years."

Check it out at:
http://hurricanes.noaa.gov/pdf/hurricanes-and-climate-change-09-2006.pdf

Plant Explosion Blows Out Windows 30 miles Away

An explosion at a plant under construction in Connecticut is reported to have blown out windows as far as 30 miles away!

Our security window film is blast-rated and would have prevented the windows from blowing out. You can imagine that between glass fragments getting into the kids' and pets' feet and cold air rushing into the houses, missing windows after an event like this is a major inconvenience.

For some reason these events seem to happen on weekends or after hours when repair personnel are off or charge premium rates.

It is another example of the need for Armor Glass security film everywhere...

Hospital Window Breaks During IKE, etc.

A hospital has to turn 24/7 so breaking windows during a storm is not a good thing. Here is an article about Houston's St. Luke's Hospital, which had windows blow out during Hurricane IKE.

This is another example how our hurricane-resistant window film would have avoided this threat to staff and patients - and eliminated the damage from water intrusion after the breach.

St. Luke's had windows blow out on its higher floors (the higher up you get, the stronger the winds). This also means that water could flow down, floor after floor, causing further damage.