Spray Foam Magazine - September/October 2013

You can’t do anything about weather. However, you can find ways to better weather a storm. Closed-cell spray foam insulation applied to the underside of the roof can greatly reduce the risk of wind and water damage during significant storm events.

Too many homeowners living in hurricane and tornado-prone regions know firsthand the damage monster storms can deliver to homes and communities. While predicting storm paths and calculating potential damage has improved, living in coastal regions invariably puts homes in harm’s way in severe weather events.

Today, builders, remodelers and architects are discovering better ways to protect homes from the potential destruction a hurricane, tornado or severe weather event can cause. Closed-cell spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation is proving to be an important tool in this fight.

Each year an average of 11 tropical storms develop, and only 6 gain enough strength to be classified as a hurricane.

These storms can have sustained winds that range from 74 mph (Category 1) to over 155 mph (Category 5). According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), over a three year period about five hurricanes strike land along the U.S. coastline, and approximately two of these classified as a Category 3 storm or higher.

When hurricanes do make landfall in the United States, the cost in property damage can be considerable. Losses associated with hurricanes average over $5.1 billion per year and cumulatively, have topped $148 billion since the year 2000.

While storm surges only impact areas within a few miles of the ocean, wind and rain damage can spread extensively inland. In 2008, Hurricane Ike made landfall in Galveston, Texas and headed northeast leaving a swath of destruction across the United States and into Canada.