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Saturday, September 15, 2007

New Plan After Humberto: "Shelter in Place"

The startling lesson from Humberto is that we may not be able to evacuate people with a 3 day warning as the current plan calls for. That plan went out the window with Humberto. It went from depression to Cat 1 hurricane in 14 hours!

So the "next big one" could be a Category 1 - 5 hurricane that balloons up from the Gulf of Mexico near shore, eliminating the possibility of escape. A friend of mine in Port Arthur went to sleep assured by the weather man that a mere tropical storm was going to blow through. He and his family woke to a roar of a Cat 1 hurricane at 2 a.m. that snapped trees in their backyard - over 80 mph! So how does one evacuate in that situation?

So, "Shelter in Place" is
the new and improved hurricane strategy being promoted by people such as former Kemah Mayor King. He is right.

But
"shelter in place" should not be limited to making schools into shelters as suggested by one legislator, although that is a good thing.

Every home should also be a potential
"shelter in place." But they will need some structural changes to qualify. The only way to do that is by protecting the weakest link of every house (and office) -- its windows.

And the only way of doing that on a certified retrofit basis is XO Armor. I saw nothing at the glass convention in Atlanta that was like it -- and that you could actually see through!

The lesson from Humberto is that we can't always leave, so we must upgrade our building codes and our homes -- by using the best technology available -- to protect our property and families from storm debris breaching our windows. Plus it will also make windows the equivalent of double paned, cut UV, keep out burglars, save energy, and (unlike shutters which it replaces) allow you with a clear view of what is going on outside with 24/7 protection.

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