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Hurricane Shutters are Essential on Dauphin Island, Alabama

Dauphin Island is a barrier island right on the Gulf of Mexico. It has fine beaches, lots of tourists, and fishing is, of course, a popular activity in the waters around the island. The island is connected to mainland Alabama by the Gordon Persons Bridge.

The island has several bird sanctuaries, because Dauphin Island is the first landfall that many birds encounter as they migrate north from South America. Consequently, many different species of birds can be found there, resting before continuing on their migration.
The island is, of course, subject to hurricanes and tropical storms. Unlike the storm surge impact on the mainland coastline, on an island the surge usually moves around and over the land. There is usually not the pooling of water and long receding time of flood waters you would experience on the mainland.

    Hurricane Frederic destroyed the bridge to the mainland in 1979.
    Hurricane Elena struck with wind gusts of over 130 mph in 1985.
    Hurricane Danny caused extensive damage on the east end of the island in 1997.
    Hurricane Georges destroyed 41 houses on the island in 1998.
    Hurricane Ivan hit in 2004 and damaged nearly a fourth of the island.
    In 2005, Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on Dauphin Island. The Katrina Cut was formed as a consequence; there is now a channel splitting off the western part from the rest of the island.

After Katrina, it was reported that most homes had no water or water damage inside unless a window, door, or roof sustained damage, and many homes avoided surge waters entirely. This is an important point in home protection during tropical storms or hurricanes; those houses with hurricane shutter systems fared much better than homes without. Most damage done to homes was done by hurricane-force winds.

Because of this island phenomenon, hurricane shutters that protect the entrances to your home are essential on Dauphin Island. And they’re not just for windows: Shuttering doors, especially French doors, sliding glass doors, and even double doors is essential. Home damage during hurricanes is often due to doors failing.

Homeowners sometimes try to save money by using plywood shutters, but what they don’t know is that plywood shutters don’t meet local codes and regulations and can’t protect your home sufficiently during a hurricane. Safety and security should never be sacrificed to save a few pennies. Hurricane shutters can protect your home from gale-force winds and high impact missiles, and are tested for this by the manufacturer. They must meet certain standards for both impact missile resistance and wind resistance, and that is something that plywood can’t do.

If you live on Dauphin Island, hurricane shutters are essential to protect your home. Because of the island’s unique characteristics, keeping home damage to a minimum during a storm is only provided by the protection of your home’s entrances, and hurricane shutters are your best bet. There are many different kinds of shutters: Accordion shutters, Rolling shutters, Bahama shutters, or Colonial shutters. No matter what kind you choose, don’t skimp on protection; protect your home with hurricane shutters today.