[LifeIsGood01]

Do most people put plywood or board up your window with storm shutters or do some strong hurricanes not damage windows if you don't put anything up?

[markjames68]

I think it's less about the wind and more about the projectiles that the wind throws about. Even impact glass, which is layered, gets damaged if a 2x4 goes flying, but protects the "envelope" of the house.

[froglipz]

Debris flying ....... big factor is the size and quantity and higher velocity is what will break out windows.

[LifeIsGood01]

Okay, so it seems to be random because of projectiles and the wind alone won't blow out windows, that's good to know.

[jambo101]

A cat 4 hurricane has sustained winds of 140mph and gusts up to 180mph this condition could last 12 hours or more. your unprotected windows will be blown away in the first hour,your house may follow in the following hours..

4
(major)
130-156 mph
113-136 kt
209-251 km/h Catastrophic damage will occur: Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.

IMO your best course of action if you are in the path of this hurricane is to get in your car and drive west,now!

[Enigma777]

Originally Posted by LifeIsGood01

Okay, so it seems to be random because of projectiles and the wind alone won't blow out windows, that's good to know.

It totally depends on the path of the storm. We lived on the west coast of Fla though out the 2004-05 season and never boarded our house. We had winds, but no direct hits and never had any damage.

If you are talking about Matthew, again, it depends on where you are. Landfall keeps getting moved further north, and that is where the strongest winds will be--landfall. I know people who went through Andrew in Miami in wood frame houses and came out fine. It depends on the path of the storm and what side of it you are on, etc.

We are a mile or so from the beach--not a flood zone. Have most windows shuttered, but a couple that aren't (facing west). There are a number of homes not shuttered in our subdivision, so I guess we'll see how it turns out. Find a room in your house with no windows to ride it out in if any of your windows go. Good luck.

[Spring Hillian]

We went through Charley in Orlando. No window coverings. Very scary. I had precut plywood panels and drilled them through into the outside walls. The anchors were installed in the holes. Just had to put up plywood and put a bolt into the hole in the wood right into the anchors.

Problem #1 - 3/4" plywood panels are heavy,

Problem #2 - Plywood shrunk over the years and the holes in wood did not line up with anchor holes in wall.