Lake Charles, Louisiana is a city some thirty miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a lovely city, bordered by lakes, with a burgeoning nightlife, and plenty to do during the day. It is home to five museums and many theaters. With over 75 festivals held annually, Lake Charles is referred to as the Festival Capital of Louisiana, and because of the lakes and waterways that run through the city, metropolitan Lake Charles is often referred to as the Lake Area.
You’d think, being so far inland, that Lake Charles wouldn’t be subject to much hurricane damage. But you’d be wrong: When Hurricane Rita swept through southwestern Louisiana, many residences and businesses surrounding Lake Charles suffered severe damage. Flood waters reached as far as the civic center, downtown. And when Ike came ashore in Galveston, Texas with one hundred ten mph winds, the effects were felt in Lake Charles, which is about one hundred twenty miles away. More than one hundred sixty people were plucked from the flood waters near Lake Charles, and rescue crews launched about 30 boats to look for more stranded residents the next day.
So, if you live in Lake Charles or the surrounding area, you’d better fit your home with hurricane shutters. But how much is that going to cost you?
Maybe not as much as you think.
According to the Louisiana Citizen Awareness and Disaster Evacuation Guide, for every dollar you spend on hurricane shutters, four dollars are saved in reduced losses. They have a four point plan they promote for you to protect your home in the event of a catastrophic storm:
Just skipping one of the things in the four point plan raises your risk of receiving major damage to your home in the event of a hurricane or tropical storm.
And to make buying hurricane shutters even more cost-efficient for the consumer: The Louisiana Department of Revenue gives a once a year sales tax holiday for purchases for hurricane preparedness, and this includes hurricane shutters. The sales tax holiday is usually held sometime in May. The hurricane preparedness list includes storm shutters, which are defined as products manufactured, rated, and marketed specifically for the purposes of preventing window damage from storms. You can choose from some of the following storm shutters:
Accordion Shutters, which provide a folding, versatile protection.
Rolling Shutters to provide wind protection, security, and ease of use.
Storm Panels are easy to install and have a relatively low cost.
Colonial Shutters to add an ornamental look and give you great curb appeal.