What to do if a window breaks during hurricane

Table of Contents Show

Can windows break during a storm?
What do you do with a window in a wind storm?
How do you protect windows from inside during a hurricane?
Will a Category 4 hurricane break windows?

Hurricanes are a common problem when you live in Florida. Yes you can get warnings for a hurricane, which is nice compared to the short amount of warning you get when a tornado is coming your way. However, the amount of time you have to prepare is not enough time to replace all of the windows in your house to windows that can withstand the storm. That is why it's ideal to start planning as soon as possible.

With hurricanes come a variety of myths that people have come up with to try and prevent having to update or board up their windows. The top 4 myths about windows during the hurricane season are:

Taping up windows during a storm will prevent them from breaking.

This technique will not help prevent your windows from breaking. It will just have the window break into larger pieces. Having the window break into larger pieces could actually be more dangerous because the larger shards could be more dangerous flying around then if the window shattered into a ton of tiny shards.

If you crack open windows during the storm it will help stabilize the pressure.

This is a myth because you do not want that violent air blowing around in your house. If you let the air in it can actually cause more pressure on your roof and walls causing damage to the entire infrastructure. The odds of anything exploding due to the pressure are minimal because there are other ways for air to seep in and out of your house, due to the fact that no house is sealed up completely.

It is only necessary to board up windows that are facing the water.

Hurricanes are tropical cyclones meaning they spin and rotate to move. That means that no window is safe during a storm. The debris blowing around and spinning with the storm is just as likely to hit a window facing the water as it is to hit a window not facing the water.

Leaning against windows that are being blown in during a storm will prevent them from breaking.

This is also a myth because if a wind is strong enough to break your window, your strength or body is defiantly not going to be strong enough to stop the wind. Like mentioned previously if that window is taped be careful because now when it shatters you are likely to be hit by one of those larger pieces of glass and so you should probably avoid the windows that look like they are going to shatter.

There are a variety of ways to help protect your windows from a storm that are not myths. Some of the most efficient ways are:

Storm Shutters

Storm shutters are a great way to protect your home from damaging winds and flying debris. They are also very easy to close up and you don’t have the hassle of cutting and measuring all of the plywood before every hurricane and trying to remember which piece of wood goes to which window.

Impact Resistant Windows

Impact resistant windows are great for a variety of reasons. If you have to replace some windows in your house or are planning on building a sunroom in Florida you might want to consider using this type of glass. The reason why is it has double the strength than your average window. Another positive attribute about these windows are that it meets all of the energy efficient requirements from the US Department of Energy, it meets all of the Florida codes and is commercially rated for residential use.

All in all, if you live in Florida your house is likely to experience the harsh winds and debris of a hurricane. Don’t try to take a short cut when it comes to boarding up your windows and making your house secure because that could lead to bigger troubles and expenses farther down the road. If your window breaks during a hurricane because it is not made to withstand the storms then you will have all of that wind and water blowing into your house messing up all of your belongings and the pressure would build up and mess with your infrastructure. Sometimes it is ok to cut corners but when it comes to your house, do you really want to risk it?

After a violent storm, one of the major clean ups you may have to do is to clean up glass from a broken window. Broken glass should be one of the very first things that you clean up; after you have determined that the home is safe to be in. Any broken glass that is allowed to remain can cause unnecessary injuries.

Record the Damage

Before you start cleaning up your broken glass, make sure to record the damages. You can do this through a video recording or photos. Take pictures of where the glass came from and where the glass ended up. You may need this for your homeowner’s insurance claim.

Clean up the Broken Window Glass

When glass shatters it has a lot of energy behind it, so it can travel a lot farther than you think it would. For an area that can be swept, enter the room with shoes and working gloves on, and sweep off the glass you find on surfaces down to the floor.

Next, sweep the entire floor for glass. Just because it looks like the glass is concentrated in one area doesn’t mean that there aren’t small pieces that made it farther.

If you are working with a carpeted area, use a shop vacuum to get up all the glass in the room.

Secure Your Home

To prevent further damage to your home, you will want to cover the holes that are in the broken window. A tarp will work to cover the hole fast and as a temporary solution, but screwing in pieces of wood is a more secure choice.

Either way, this is only meant to prevent people, bugs and weather from getting into your home until you can get the windows replaced.

Contact Your Insurance Company

File a claim with your insurance company as soon as you can. Normally, it would be better to go through your agent, but if the damage is bad in your area your insurance agent will be swamped with calls; not to mention having to deal with their own damage.

Hire a Professional for Replacing Glass Panes

Unless you know what you are doing, don’t try to replace the glass in the windows yourself. Hire a professional to do them for you. That way they can also access if the other parts of the window were damaged by the storm. If there is more than just glass damage, you may have to replace the entire broken window.

Can windows break during a storm?

The answer to this question is yes, the wind can break windows. However, it is important to note that the wind must be blowing at a very high speed in order for this to happen. If the wind is blowing at a lower speed, it is unlikely that the window will be broken. Learn more about impact-resistant windows.

What do you do with a window in a wind storm?

Installing storm shutters over all exposed windows and other glass surfaces is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect your home. You should cover all windows, French doors, sliding glass doors, and skylights. There are many types of manufactured storm shutters available.

How do you protect windows from inside during a hurricane?

Security Film Also known as security or safety window film, this is a low-cost hurricane covering option that most DIY homeowners can pick up from their local hardware store. This coated film is applied to the inside of windows to help protect from storm damage caused by small debris.