Forcast: Wetter and Cooler - But Also More Tropical Storms

The weather is supposed to get wetter and cooler but the experts say that despite the cooler temperatures we could see a number of tropical storms rolling over the eastern and southern U.S.

Tropical storms can be as destructive as hurricanes - we had Tropical Storm Allison that flooded the entire city of Houston. It destroyed a lot of back up equipment that had been placed under ground level.

Even the storms lately are more powerful -- producing hurricane-force winds, like the one that recently hit New York. Winds were clocked up to 120 mph!

All it takes is a windborne debris hit on a window in high winds to breach the glass, causing interior damage (at the most inconvenient time) and risking roof loss and structural failure from the internal wind pressures. Then you get the mold and the costs are high. The inconvenience can last months.

But with our film, you just replace the glass, and the film, and you're back in business without interior damage or mold to deal with.

I feel protected because I've got Armor Glass security/hurricane film on my glass to avoid that prospect. But most people don't. And they remain vulnerable even when the hurricane season ends.

Record 3 Hurricanes in Atlantic: NY's 70 mph Storm

We have a record three hurricanes in the Atlantic - an event that has not happened since 1998.

That doesn't include KARL which is about to hit Mexico a second time. In the meantime, New York was hit last night by a violent storm that sheared trees in half and created hurricane force winds.

And our hurricane film was protecting a Chase Bank that was built in 2009 - we installed it on their large glass windows (some over 10' x 13') last October as it was being finished. We were told it was the first time security film had been used on Long Island.

If a tree branch hit any glass, our film would keep it from blowing a hole through it and destroying the interior. It is bonded to the frames with Dow 995, anchoring the film to the frames for maximum support.

Had a burglar tried to break in during the storm, it would also kept their crowbars from penetrating. All he would get is tired from pounding on the glass.

That is why Armor Glass exists - to "Armor Your Glass" with our hurricane/safety film, the same film installed on federal buildings in DC (including the Pentagon) after 9/11 because of its explosion protection.

IGOR building, New depression in East Carribbean, etc

IGOR is growing and moving west. It is not getting much attention yet but keep an eye on it.

Perhaps a closer threat could be a tropical depression forming in the eastern Caribbean. We are seeing more of these "pop up" storms forming closer to the Gulf, or in the Gulf, giving less time to prepare and a greater chance of a hit in our area.

HERMINE, even though it wasn't a CAT 1, was still powerful enough to generate powerful lateral winds and rain squalls over 300 miles from its center. It also generates over 15 inches of rain in Central Texas.

Stay tuned. We aren't out of the woods for at least another month.

Lessons from Hermine's Fury - As Her Rain Beats Against My Windows

Tropical Storm HERMINE is supposedly only a depression somewhere in Central Texas now, yet the rain is pelting my windows facing Clear Lake several hundred miles away.

HERMINE wasn't even a hurricane, yet it is unleashing powerful winds along with the 15" rains drowning Central Texas now. Every time I hear that pelting sound against the panes, I realize how much relief I feel, knowing that I put hurricane film on them as soon as I moved in. I can't imagine how awful it would be to have a breach from a debris strike in the middle of one of these storms.

HERMINE was a "pop up" storm - it went from depression to Tropical Storm in only a few HOURS. There was not the usual advance notice of an approaching storm. That meant a lot of people had to, once again, do the last time "boarding up" with plywood - at the last minute. A lot of people didn't have time to board up.

But our customer's didn't have to board up and they were still protected - with our 8 Mil solar hurricane film, which acts as "invisible shutters" while also cutting down on the fierce Texas solar heat.

We have more storms behind Hermine, rolling off the African coast like a hurricane assembly line. It won't end until November 30 and then starts up again June 1 - six months of every year. It's an annual threat that isn't going to stop. In fact, as the planet warms up the storms get stronger from the extra heat.

Scientists estimate that a 1 degree increase in the Atlantic water temperature could fuel more CAT 4 and 5 hurricanes instead of the 1 and 2's we have been getting. If that happens, our building codes aren't adequate to protect them from damage from these killers. Global warming also means more tornadoes which also hurl debris through windows, causing glass injuries and structural failure for the same reason discovered during Project Safe Windows in Florida.

Project Safe Windows was a study of the 2004 Hurricanes (four in one year!). It found that wind-borne debris breaching a window is what leads to roof loss and structural failure (not to mention internal damages). It certified a death by flying glass and discovered that houses which had security window film survived when houses next door without it were completely destroyed.

That is what Armor Glass hurricane film prevents. It is large missile certified. It is the same film chosen to protect DC federal buildings after 9/11. It also makes your house more burglar resistant.

Hermine is yet another warning that you should not wait to protect your most valuable asset - your home. It does the same for your office. We just put it on some homes in South Texas that took the brunt of Hermine the past couple days.

The rain is still beating against my windows, but it doesn't bother me. And when the blistering sun comes out, my Armor Glass shield will also cut it down to size, along with my electric bill.

Several more storms are rolling off the coast of Africa, including a huge one that could move far enough South to come into the Gulf of Mexico - these usually impact the entire U.S., just like IKE knocked out power all the way to Ohio.

Are you prepared?

HERMINE Packing a Punch all the Way to Houston

What's left of HERMINE is packing quite a punch even here in Houston which is hundreds of miles from its center, WOW, it must be kicking some butt in South Texas - where we installed our hurricane film on houses just a few weeks ago.

None of our customers -- from Harlingen to Houston -- had to rush around trying to find and nail up plywood.

HERMINE was a "pop up" storm, going from a depression to a tropical storm in just a few hours! Our customers didn't have to do a thing to prepare. Imagine the stress that everyone else felt! Either slap up plywood or go through the storm unprepared, risking internal damage if a window blows out!

We are on the right side, the WET side, the one that packs the biggest punch. The waves in Galveston are ROILING.

This should be another reminder why you need to install our hurricane film now. It also cuts the solar heat that has been blistering us all summer - we just had the hottest August ON RECORD!

Here Comes Hermine - Then Gaston!

Suddenly things are popping - out of nowhere Tropical Storm Hermine has developed in the Gulf of Mexico. It will be hitting close to houses we did this summer in Harlingen, Port O'Connor, etc.

And it appears that Gaston in the Atlantic is moving west and may turn into a hurricane. Mid_September is usually when we get most storms forming, but the season doesn't end until November 30 so we still have 3 months to go.

Stay tuned!