Every time I see on the news lines of people buying plywood to board up their windows in case a hurricane blows their way, I wonder why home builders in FL etc. don't start building in those roll down security shutters so common in Germany (and other places in Europe). The ones we had at our apartment in Germany would have protected the windows as well as sheets of plywood, are a lot less unsightly, and do double duty as security when you're off on vacation. It takes all of 10 seconds to roll one down and another 10 seconds to roll it back up--a lot easier than nailing on plywood and then prying it off again.

What I also don't understand is when the people who bought plywood are lucky and escape the hurricane's damage, they then go stand in line again to return the plywood. Can't they just hang on to it? If you live in hurricane zones, it's unlikely that you'll only have one hurricane come by over the years. In my mom's community in Florida, there's a guy who bought and returned plywood THREE times in one season. What was this guy thinking?

Tandoori Girl--I have a gerbil tht I would LOVE to send you! I am sure he could help power that thing:D

BTilke, those hurricane shutters are very common on new construction however they are costly to have added afterward.

YES! My parents left the keys!

NO! They are still in the path of Wilma in Palm Beach!! ARGHHHH!!

I cannot beleive them. They are more worried about missing Fantasy Fest next week than the hurricane. Hellooo?!?!?! Are we 21 again?

Will it ever end?

To add insult to injury my dad told me to stop being Nervous Nelly :))

We have been investigating the myriad of hurricane shutters available so we can board up our little beach cottage if necessary. There are these ones that make your house look like the windows have picture frames around them, and they have little clips that are directed away from the center of the window, on all four sides. When the blow comes you stretch this durable cover over the window. I think you do this from inside your house. The good thing about these covers is that they let light into your house so you can still live in it in comfort in the interim. Just imagine how weird it is to be in a house that has plywood over the windows.

And there are these accordian looking ones -- either from top to bottom or side to side -- very ugly but then, what isn't?

I'd suggested to hubby that we get plywood but as he pointed out we have no place to store sheets of plywood. And I agree, it's not worth my time or money to buy the stuff then return it.

The other thing that irks me is that insurance companies offer no financial incentive for shutters, although they would clearly benefit from having people use them.

Oy vay! The Hamsters Union is surely going to be the death of me. They say hamsters can not be used for propogation for the purpose of providing alternative fuel. Something signed during the Clinton administration. I can only hope it will be overturned.

TandooriGirl, we've had our side to side accordian shutters for 13 years and they are wonderful, not to mention have paid for themselves in peace of mind more times than I care to count. I highly recommend them and wouldn't go any other route myself as far as easy protection.

They actually don't look all that bad as they aren't that noticeable when they are open. Or maybe it's just me since so many people have them where I live so they don't look out of place. They close very easily in seconds and you can even lock them. Money well spent in a hurricane region, IMO.

I'm following the genrator and shutter thread with great interest! Since we live 50 miles inland, the shutters are not very important. However, I lived in Germany for a year and have always wondered why the roll-down shutters have not been widely used here. We built our house last year - it was completed a couple of months before the first hurricane - and never thought of a whole house generator at that time. The difficulty people had finding gasoline to run portable generators is what has kept me from buying one of them. The way I see it, propane is the only way to go. I have priced a back-up propane generator for $11,000. Installation would be about $3000. I'll let you know after hurricane season what I decide!

By the way, there's a little outdoor restaurant with picnic tables behind the Star Fish Company in Cortez. Last year the stone crab appetizer was $20, which my sister-in-law said was as good as Moore's. It's paper plates, etc., but the food was excellent and it was a fun experience! Just a thought...

Having grown up in New England in the era of many hurricanes that struck there, I remember pulling all the shutters closed when one was one the way. Now I see so many many houses with faux shutters -- not hinged, not closable, just useless!

AAFF - glad you can get away. My mother's retirement/assisted living residence held a meeting yesterday to tell the residents what to expect, take a population count to see who was leaving, and give instructions. She's serene about the whole thing and would be very very resistant to leaving, even if I were down there to pack her and equipment into car or plane. She said they were showing a jammed I-75 northbound on TV and said she wouldn't do that.

So here I am in Baltimore with my cellphone and fingers crossed. If Wilma goes south of Sarasota, it will probably hit dear cousins just north of Miami -- what a year!

Tandoori Girl,
check out http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/wea...ricane-utility

We live in Brevard county (east central florida) and bought storm panels last year - thankfully, before Charley, Frances and Jeanne hit! These are the type where the top and bottom tracks are permanently affixed to the house and you fit the panels in and tighten with some sort of hardware - can't remember what they're called! The panels are pretty easy to install - I've done them by myself. You can get either the metal type or the clear ones (which is nice for letting light in the house and even my picky homeowners association lets people keep the clear ones on all the time). When not in use, the panels take up a space about 7 feet x 3 feet x 1 foot. They were pretty inexpensive (3 sliders, 7 windows were about $2500) at the time, but I understand the price of all types of shutters has gone up (Shock!)

I still think the hamster idea has merit :-D

Postal:
re:" there's a little outdoor restaurant with picnic tables behind the Star Fish Company in Cortez"
Thank you so much for reminding me that we stopped at that little restaurant! We had drinks and, I think, grouper sandwiches. We sat outside in the sun and enjoyed the location and the food.

Dsquared, thanks for that link. I checked it out and it had scant little about the ones I'm interested in. But here's a link to a story with a photo of the mesh-screen shutters. I'd like to see what they look like on the house, if anyone can find a photo:

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/17/Ho...a_lesson.shtml

Wilma is moving 5 MPH. I might just be able to get them up in time, haha. Unless she picks up speed, I'd say she won't be here until mid-week.

I don't live in an area where we have to board up windows so that is not an issue for us (unlike losing electricity). However, I remember as a child living in Miami and lowering the aluminum awnings when a hurricane was expected. Awnings were useful year round in south Florida. They kept the windows shaded while still letting in the breeze so the house stayed cooler, and, when lowered, they provided protection from flying debris in hurricanes.

I think awnings fell out of favor to an extent when central air conditioning became standard. But they were an inexpensive, easy method of protecting windows.

Any updates? I'm bummed out--I did have to cancel my trip to Miami after all. My friend went on ahead, only to find out she had to come back.

My parents are back here and bummed to be missing Fantasy Fest.

They are Out Of Control.

They are leaving to go back Tuesday or Wednesday and check on the house.

central FL update......My power has already gone off for about an hour and returned...It's very very dark out...but this morning began with a creepy stillness and no wind whatsoever....it's now trickling rain and wind is picking up....it's gonna be a long day...I think I'll get some reading in while I wait...

Reading the weather report files, it looks like this one is down in strength and picked up in speed, as it transversed FL. The rainfall is less as a result as well.

This is all good news. Alpha is hitting Domincan Republic and then is going to be sucked into Wilma's aftermath waves.

So overall people can breathe a little easier after about 11am or noon today, Oct. 24. 99mph in Ft.Lauderdale was strongest gust measured, and biggest fears are now spawned tornados to the North of the outer rim.

Another bullet dodged, I think.

We are suppose to leave for naple, florida on November 2nd. It's hard to tell how bad Naples was hit and we are trying to determine if we should cancel. We must do so by Thursday. Does anyone out there have any info on the extent of the damage. The hotel has posted a message that they will re-open on Monday 10/31