Warning: El Nino is Here - Why That is a Threat in Hurricane Season

Yesterday, while Armor Glass was exhibiting at a conference on hurricanes in Galveston, I was fortunate to meet Bill Read (the hurricane guy, now retired from NOAA and working for KPRC in Houston as their hurricane expert) and Frank Billingsley, the chief KPRC Weather guy. Both gave excellent presentations.

The key thing I learned from Bill Read was that we are facing an El Nino year, which tends to suppress Atlantic hurricanes (while letting them rip in the Pacific). BUT then he pointed out that 1983 was an El Nino year – the year Houston got smacked by Hurricane Alicia, which formed in the gulf!   

                                      Hurricane Alicia 1983, formed in Gulf during El Nino

Apparently in El Nino years there are fewer “long track” hurricanes (those that cross the Atlantic on their way here) and more storms that actually spring up in the Gulf of Mexico. That means we aren’t out of the woods, and with gulf storms people will have much less time to prepare and evacuate.

Frank Billingsley, KPRC’s chief weather guy, made an interesting point in his talk. He said that Allison, which struck Houston in June 2001.  He said Allison was worse than the recent rains. The difference?

Social Media. In 2001, we got pictures the next day. During the memorial day storm (which was not tropical, which is also a difference), people were broadcasting photos in real time on Facebook, Twitter, etc!

Here is what Wikipedia says about Allison:

“The storm dropped heavy rainfall along its path, peaking at over 40 inches (1,000 mm) in Texas. The worst flooding occurred in Houston, where most of Allison's damage occurred: 30,000 became homeless after the storm flooded over 70,000 houses and destroyed 2,744 homes. Downtown Houston was inundated with flooding, causing severe damage to hospitals and businesses. Twenty-three people died in Texas. Along its entire path, Allison caused $9 billion (2001 USD) in damage and 41 deaths.”

                                  Tropical Storm Allison Flooding, Houston June 2001

                                 Houston Memorial Day 2015 Flooding - no tropical storm

So, Frank is right. However, the one difference that I think we should also consider is that Allison was a named tropical storm. What we had happened over Memorial Weekend was not a tropical storm, yet it produced damages statewide that may end up being similar in impact.  If that’s the case, we have entered a “whole new world” where we don’t even need a tropical storm or hurricane to end up with the same damages.

Aside from the flooding, these storms produced hurricane-force winds, tornadoes and hail – all of which break glass and lead to internal damages and even structural failure. Stay tuned here for updates.

Bottom line: People are still living in “houses of straw” – our biggest assets that need more protection from Mother Nature.  Do yourself a favor, and read "Houses of Straw" and find out how to protect your largest asset from weather violence (and human intrusion).

Follow Armor Glass on Twitter @ArmorGlass and on Facebook.

Tornado Tears Apart Apartment in Houston - How Armor Glass Could Have Protected It

In Houston over the weekend of violent storms, an apartment building was hit by a tornado, tearing it apart.  Armor Glass could have avoided that damage. 

Here's how and why.  The photo below, taken from our ebook "Houses of Straw" shows what happens when wind-borne debris breaks through a glass window....

Breaching a window results in UPLIFT on the roof. That leads to Structural collapse. 

Engineers and architects will tell you that buildings are designed to resist EXTERNAL winds. But once a window breaks from debris hurled by high speed winds, then the wind goes inside and seeks a way out. That it what produces UPLIFT on the roof and blows walls out and roofs OFF.  One engineer told me that a break can equal 50,000 lbs. of UPLIFT on the roof!

Bottom Line: Avoid the breach of the buildings weakest link, avoid losing your roof!

ARMOR GLASS basically armors your existing glass.  When impacted it will look like the photo below:

And what does Armor Glass LOOK like? This:

Get more details on how Armor Glass protects your biggest asset from storms, burglars, solar heat, UV, etc. by reading our FREE EBook "Houses of Straw" available at our Armor Glass website. You will see what to do, and what NOT to do to get the best protection.

"Houses of Straw" refers to what all of us are living in - that is, until you armor your glass.

How Many Times Do You Need a Break-In Before Calling Armor Glass?

Got an emergency call yesterday - a chain store that had been robbed multiple times. The Crooks break the glass and run in, grab stuff, and run out -- all in one minute!

Finally they did some research and called Armor Glass - had a crew there the next day (today) to 'armor their glass.'  Should be a big surprise the next time someone tries to break in that store...

And then there was the TORNADO in Giddings, TX. This is a great example of what Armor Glass can prevent - injuries from flying glass after breach by a tornado or hurricane...

 

The Smoke Shop That Almost Got Smoked by Robbers - What if he had Armor Glass?

This article describes a gang of robbers known for violent entries of businesses wearing masks and waving handguns. They put cocked guns to people's heads in brute force to accomplish their mission.

The Smoke Shop owner was lucky but let's face it -- not too many people would be able to do what he did. What if he didn't have a gun? What if he hadn't seen them coming until they were inside?

Even if the Smoke Shop owner had locked the doors the robbers would have smashed through the glass in one second--just like the Newtown shooter-- and would have immediately been on top of the people inside. They would have no time to react.

              Photo shows glass that Sandy Hook shooter blew out with Assault Rifle-- Gone in 2 seconds

But there is a way of giving them that precious advantage of time.  Armor Glass security film would stop them cold--IF the doors were locked (automatically or manually) before they got inside.

It "armors the glass" so it becomes a barrier, giving people inside the building time -- to take cover, call 911, grab a gun -- all of the above.  It keeps them separated from the thugs on the outside, even if they were shooting at the glass, only to discover that all they can do is make small holes in the glass the same size as the bullets --too small for them to get through if the door is locked.

If they stand there trying to shoot holes big enough for them to enter, they will run out of bullets and need to reload. Glass has never been a problem before, so they are confused. The police have more time to come and engage. People inside have more time to take cover and protect themselves.

It's time people with ordinary window glass don't have. That is why everyone in the world with glass needs Armor Glass security film protection.  Yesterday, several million people were threatened by tornadoes, sheltering in "Houses of Straw."

It's the first time in 5,000 years that we have "armored our glass."  Until then, don't throw stones at glass palaces.  Let us protect your castle.

Typhoon Hits GUAM ..Sign of early Hurricane season here?

A Typhoon (Hurricane) just hit GUAM in the Pacific Ocean with winds over 100 mph. Again, this is another storm arriving EARLY before the storm season is really supposed to start.  To me, it is another sign that we could face fierce, unpredictable weather.

Today, severe storms will hit from Central Texas all the way up to the Midwest.  Get Prepared!  Blown out windows from wind-borne debris is what leads to roof uplift and structural collapse. We are living in "houses of straw" while facing bigger threats to our biggest investment.

Check out Armor Glass today.

Who Needs Armor Glass? Any on this long list that says "burglary of a habitation"

Who Needs Armor Glass?

Anyone whose property is on this long list that says "burglary of a habitation" - this is a link to an actual crime list in Ft Bend County, part of the Houston metroplex.

You will find most of them entered after breaking the GLASS - easily done with a brick in one second, unless you have armored your glass.

Then you have protection from both human intrusion and Mother Nature's fury....and it will pay for itself in solar heat and UV reduction too.  

Until then, YOU are living in houses of straw....

Possible TORNADOES Coming Friday Saturday - Texas, Oklahoma etc.

It's Tuesday and calm but by this Friday and Saturday SEVERE weather is expected to sweep large sections of Texas and Oklahoma -- the major risk being TORNADOES, HAIL, etc.

If you can, COVER YOUR WINDOWS to keep them from being broken by wind-borne debris if you do not already have our Armor Glass security film on your windows.  It "armors your glass" so it is capable of sustaining 4.5 lb impacts and explosions. Right now it can't take any impact without opening a huge hole.

Once the windows go, the winds UPLIFT the ROOF and structural failure is unavoidable. 

Believe it or not, but most humans are living in "houses of straw" that are easily blown apart because of a fatal flaw - easily broken glass. 

Unless you want to be putting up and taking down plywood or fabric every time an event occurs, Armor Glass is the only option that makes sense. It's working 24/7, saving energy to pay for itself, while protecting your most valuable asset and family in it. 

Check out our FREE EBook, "Houses of Straw" and our website at www.ArmorGlass.com. 

Then give us a buzz so we can help you before the next storm blows in - it's too late to call when the burglar is at the door or the hurricane or tornado are bearing down upon us.

How Tornadoes/Hurricanes Destroy Houses

Yesterday tornadoes swept through South Dakota, doing massive damage. One photo demonstrates how tornadoes and their hurricane cousins destroy buildings. Here it is:

Notice the missing windows. Then notice the missing roof above.  Once a tornado's hurricane-force winds break your windows, they uplift the roof. That's what destroys your house!  Protect the glass, protect the building.

To get more details on how this principal was discovered, read "Houses of Straw" a free EBook you can get at our website or at this link.  

The title means what it says - we are living in "houses of straw" that are easily destroyed until we armor its weakest link from breach.

Then call us for a free quote.

First Tropical Storm Plus TORNADOES - Weather is firing UP early in 2015

Tornado Tsunami expected this weekend. Pre-season Tropical Storm...already fired up. Buckle your seat-belts, its going to be a bumpy storm season..

                      Above: Watch HAIL break windows. Wind-borne debris does the same
 
More than 2 weeks before the official start of hurricane season we have our first named tropical storm ANA. This is highly unusual since we typically don't start getting depressions or tropical storms until later in the season - towards July and August.

But what's a hurricane without a tornado? The Texas panhandle and stretches from Oklahoma to the Midwest are getting a tsunami of TORNADOES. Some people in Oklahoma went into storm shelters underground, which flooded from heavy rain. One woman was drowned.  

People are facing the question: Where is safe? JP Pritchard says this about Armor Glass in 1 minute

Again, many houses could be saved from destruction if they had window protection. Once wind-borne debris from hurricane-force winds break your glass, its uplift on the roof and "game over" for the structure. Keeping the windows sealed is vital for protection. 

That is what Armor Glass does. It's the lowest cost security option that also saves energy and protects from burglar break-ins. Read more about it in our Free EBook "Houses of Straw" and check out our videos at www.ArmorGlass.com

One thing is clear. The storm season is just beginning. Get prepared NOW, before your most valuable asset takes a hit.

1 Minute Audio

Don't Let This Happen to You - Home Invasion via Broken Glass Door

Don't let this happen to you. This story in the Houston Chronicle describes how a family hear a glass door break and as many as 10 men rushed in and held them hostage, even pointing guns at an 8 year old.

                             Above: Burglars LOVE Glass - Even a child can break it

                               Above: This glass was hit in Sugar Land by a burglar 
                                when the wife was home alone. He didn't get in, and
                                this was all the damage there was to the window.

We hear about break-ins all the time but this one was particularly violent - and avoidable. Had the glass door - and other ground floor windows - been covered with Armor Glass security film, the entry would not have been so easy.  You see, Armor Glass provides a barrier to broken glass - it would have delayed entry, giving the homeowner time to call and 911 and grab a gun. That's time you don't get with regular glass. It is easily blown out of the frame with a single kick or brick.  The bad guys are then inside before a homeowner can react.

This happened to an Armor Glass client within the past year - a wife home alone when she heard a knock on the front door. She didn't answer it and went back to a bedroom. Suddenly she heard a crash on the glass in the back - it was someone trying to break in! But he didn't get in and she was not faced with being "home alone" with a burglar.

Another customer is a hair stylist chain - after they had broken into 3 times they called us for our Armor Glass security film.  Schools are calling too.

Check out Armor Glass today.  Read our free EBook "Houses of Straw" and ask us for a free quote.

Hurricane season starting EARLY in 2015? Low in the Atlantic...

Usually our Hurricane season doesn't officially start until June 1 of every year and runs to November 30, and usually nothing ever happens until AUGUST -- but not this year.  

We already have a mysterious LOW in the Atlantic that could prove to be our first storm of what is supposed to be a "slow" season. Maybe not!

Here is a photo of the current situation:

It does not look like a problem for the Gulf of Mexico at the moment but the fact that we are seeing low pressure in the Atlantic a month before the official beginning of hurricane season is a reason to be cautious and get prepared for a possible storm that no one expected. It's been 7 years since Hurricane IKE hit Houston - so we can't stay "lucky" indefinitely.

My gut says that when they say it will be a "slow" season is to expect the unexpected!
Hurricanes throw wind-borne debris through glass windows, allowing uplift on the roof that destroys a building. Armor Glass security film is designed to avoid a breach by large debris strikes (up to 4.5 lb), saving the interior from wind, rain, mold, flying glass and dangerous uplift.

Get more info from our Free EBook "Houses of Straw" at our website.

Recently we have been called by storefronts that have been broken into multiple times. We put security film on 8 stores for a well known regional restaurant chain and it has already prevented injuries when a motorcycle collided with a store and broke a window. It kept glass from spraying onto customers.

We have been taking care of homeowners with solar heat and security issues. We have put it on homes, churches, schools and private and public buildings.  Retired teachers have it, along with astronauts and engineers. Some of our clients are literally "out of this world" at the moment.

It costs nothing to get a quote.