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Living in a hurricane-prone area requires you to understand hurricane categories and how much each one can damage your property. With this knowledge, you can prepare better, especially when there's a need to evacuate. However, when your house is guarded with hurricane windows and doors Boca Raton FL, it's less likely you will need to vacate it because of the superior level of protection these fixtures bring. Unfortunately, not everyone understands how life-threatening hurricanes can be, so they don't feel compelled to protect their houses with impact-resistant windows and doors. This article will shed light on this matter and hopefully encourage all homeowners to safeguard their houses with durable and long-lasting hurricane windows and doors.  However, since each hurricane can affect people and properties differently, we will look at it from a general point of view.  

Hurricane Categories and Their Potential Damage

Category 1

With sustained wind speeds of 74 to 95 miles per hour, Category 1 hurricanes are more dangerous than most people think. Hurricanes with this strength can damage roofs, gutters, and sidings. Flying debris can also break windows and harm your property's interior by water intrusion. Branches can break off of trees, and power lines can snap, causing power outages.  

Category 2

Category 2 hurricanes have wind speeds of 96 to 110 miles per hour. With this wind strength, even well-built buildings can experience major roof and siding damages. Shallow-rooted trees can be uprooted, which may block roads. Additionally, there is a risk of total power loss that can last for days.  

Category 3

Category 3 hurricanes can cause major damages to residential and commercial buildings, including but not limited to tearing off of decks and gable ends. Electricity and water could be unavailable for days or even weeks after the storm. Category 3 hurricanes have sustained wind speeds of 111 to 130 miles per hour. Hurricane Katrina, for example, was a category 3 storm that blew off roof buildings. Hundreds of people also lost their lives, and many businesses were affected due to subsequent flooding.  

Category 4

These hurricanes can cause catastrophic damages, like losing most of a building's roof structure and parts of exterior walls. Areas affected by category 4 hurricanes may be uninhabitable for weeks or months because of the tremendous damage these hurricanes can cause.  Hurricane Opal in 1995 caused total roof failure on most buildings when it made landfall on the Florida Panhandle. Category 4 hurricanes have sustained wind speeds of 130 to 156 miles per hour.  

Category 5

These hurricanes have sustained wind speeds of 157 miles per hour and higher. Thus, they can create near-total destruction. Many homes and buildings will completely be destroyed.

Install Hurricane Windows and Doors from Boca Raton, FL, to Protect Your Property

The amount of damage your property can suffer from relies heavily on the extent of preparation you do. When you equip your house with hurricane windows and doors from Palm Beach Hurricane Windows, you can rest assured that your house will much safer, as these fixtures are created to endure wind speeds of up to 200 miles per hour.  We know how much your home means to you and your family, and we aim to defend it from potential damage. If you want to learn more about our products and services, give us a call today.