As Storms Grow to Joplin Size, So Must Our Protection

Rarely have we seen such a bizarre sight. Joplin’s hospital records were found 60 miles away. Winds sucked debris up to 18,000 feet (airliner height). People had no more than five minutes’ notice before all hell broke loose. There was no time to take protective action or shelter.

Joplin, Missouri needs your help right now. It needs (1) first responders helping rescue anyone trapped in the debris from one of the Earth’s Most Concentrated Energy storms – a nearly mile- wide tornado generating 198 mph winds, and (2) donations for people hit by a mother nature’s nuclear-sized bomb.

Jim Cantore from the Weather Channel was following the EF5+ tornado and witnessed people dying in front of him. At one point he was so overcome he couldn’t talk. That doesn’t happen to a guy who has seen nearly everything in dangerous storms.

A doctor said that all the windows had been blown out of the hospital. I heard a young man in Joplin on TV talk about the glass blowing in -- and the sheer hell that then descended on them. Another man talked of seeing his windows “bow.” One debris strike at that moment and the glass explodes. It had to be pretty scary.

As I’ve watched these storm disasters unfold I found myself thinking how many injuries (even death) could have been avoided from flying glass with our certified window film, which is designed to stop a glass breach that leads to structural failure.

The same thing happened in Houston during Hurricane IKE. Windows blew out for hundreds of miles inland. And IKE was only a weak CAT 1 – not a 2, 3, 4 or 5 (Katrina size) or an EF5 like Joplin experienced.

Flying glass is lethal. It’s like a glass grenade – stressed glass disintegrates into shards that spray like a shotgun blast, hitting anyone unlucky enough to be nearby. Glass is the weakest link in every building. The “Project Safe Windows” study of the 2004 hurricanes that struck Florida found that a glass breach by windborne debris is the direct cause of structural failure. Once windows break, internal winds pressurize the building and that blows off roofs, etc. A tornado does the same thing. It throws debris through glass, the weakest link – with the same result.

ANY protection would be better than what people have today – zero protection.

Our security film is designed to prevent window breach. On commercial buildings we add an attachment to keep windows from being sucked out. Even if the wind speeds exceed 175 mph, the most extreme storms, our Armor Glass security film would still contain the glass in a single piece -- instead of showering occupants with thousands of lethal shards.

Ocean temperatures this year are 2 degrees HOTTER. That extra heat makes storms bigger -- and more dangerous. Tornadoes and hurricanes are one thing. Burglars are another. We installed Armor Glass safety film on a lady’s windows on a Friday last summer. Five days later someone tried to break in. He failed. Her stuff was saved.

Do what you can to help with the rescue of people still trapped by this monster tornado, PLEASE.

Weather forecasters say that conditions could lead to another tornado outbreak by TODAY. This is the latest in a series of strange records storms that are getting all too frequent.

We can either continue facing these without armor, or with.

Joplin Missouri's Killer Tornado - How to be safer

I just returned from a trip overseas and saw the horrible news of a killer tornado that hit Joplin Missouri, destroying untold numbers of buildings and killing an unknown number of people - at least 90 are reported to have died.

Even the hospital was devastated. That is very unfortunate for more than one reason. Had the hospital installed our security window film with attachment, much of this damage could have been avoided.

Tornadoes are like hurricanes - they throw debris through the glass windows, creating killer glass shards and extensive internal damage. Our film - the same that was installed on Washington DC federal buildings in DC after 9/11 - has been rated to protect occupants from large missile strikes (up to 4.5 lbs.) and explosions (it is now rated Level 2 as well as GSA 3a/3b). It certainly would have significantly reduced the damages and injuries at a reasonable cost.

Our prayers are with the people of Joplin. I encourage anyone reading this to check out our website and ask for a free quote. The life you save could be your own or a family member...

Warming Earth = Bigger Tornadoes/Hurricanes

Jim Cantore from the Weather Channel said it tonight: A Warmer Earth means more energy that translates into bigger storms--like the record 450+ tornadoes we had in April --killing over 300 people. These are the strongest storms since 1966!

And May is normally the really big month for tornadoes! That means we need to upgrade our building codes to withstand stronger, more destructive winds. The weakest link on every building - it's windows.

Project Safe Windows in 2004 - the study of the 2004 hurricanes that hit Florida found that buildings are destroyed once windborne debris breaks a window. The inrushing wind looks for a way out. The easy way out is to lift up the roof. The building basically blows itself apart.

With stronger winds from a warmer earth, these killer storms are going to continue killing buildings until we armoring up the windows, the weakest link. If we aren't going to take action to reduce the impact of a warming earth, we have no choice but to build stronger shelters to withstand these killers..

Death by Tornado - Breaking Your Weakest Link

The U.S. is being beaten up by a rash of tornadoes, many F4 and F5 killers. The last batch has killed over 180 people. They were proceeded by a storm system that produced over 200 tornadoes, some multi-vortex killers.

Tornadoes are like Hurricanes - they are high wind events and they are even more efficient at hurling debris through windows. Once debris breaks a window, the air pressure goes in and searches for a way out. It basically explodes the building. Avoid the window breach and the building stands a better chance at surviving, along with its occupants.

That is what our Armor Glass security film is designed and certified to do - avoid a breach of your weakest link by debris that allows killer winds inside your structure.

One engineer whose house we installed our security film told me that he calculated that one hole in the window equals 50,000 lbs of UPLIFT on the roof! That is what a tornado is doing when it breaks your glass. It's 'game over' for the building - not to mention all the flying glass that can cut you to shreds.

Whether its burglars, solar heat, hurricanes or tornadoes, Armor Your Glass with Armor Glass. The life you save could be your family's or your own...

Tornadoes Hit St. Louis Airport - How to Protect People

A tornado hit St. Louis Airport yesterday, causing injuries from flying glass, etc. Our Armor Glass safety film would have prevented those injuries from glass shrapnel.

Tornadoes are like hurricanes in that they are high wind events that throw debris through the glass, causing immediate danger of injuries or death from flying glass shards. Our film would contain the glass. On commercial buildings we bond the film to the frames adding the frame support to keep the film and glass in place even if struck with flying debris and winds of 175 mph.

Check out the video on our website at www.ArmorGlass.com

Early Storm Season?

It's not even close to the June 1 kick off for our hurricane season, and already there is a low disturbance in the Atlantic!

It may come to nothing but forecasters are predicting that the EARLY part of the hurricane season will be a busy one.

Are you prepared?

Stay tuned...

Worst Killer Tornadoes in Quarter Century: Drought in Texas

Experts say the 230 tornadoes that just hit the eastern states is the worst outbreak in 25 years - a quarter century! Winds were estimated to hit up to 200 mph!

In the meantime Texas is having the worst drought since 1917. Temperatures are rising fast.

While we usually focus on hurricane and burglar protection, Armor Glass could have helped the buildings in a tornadoes path. The film can handle winds up to 175 mph - and keep glass from blowing in after a debris strike.

Once there is a breach of the glass the penetrating winds can blow apart a building - that's what "Project Safe Windows" found happened to buildings in the 2004 hurricanes that hit Florida. The film would also contain the flying glass shrapnel.

Technology makes a difference. Are you prepared? Don't get hammered without Armor Glass!