New trend shows Hurricanes are becoming the most damaging forms of extreme weather.New trend shows Hurricanes are becoming the most damaging forms of extreme weather.
Looking back at Hurricane Patricia – the most powerful tropical cyclone ever
Hurricane Patricia was a tropical cyclone that formed in the eastern Pacific and rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane.
Looking Back at Patricia
Just 30 hours after peaking in intensity as the most powerful tropical cyclone ever measured in the Western Hemisphere, former Hurricane Patricia degenerated into a weak remnant low over northeast Mexico.
On Oct. 23, Patricia became the most powerful tropical cyclone ever measured in the Western Hemisphere as its maximum sustained winds reached an unprecedented 200 mph (320 kph) and its central pressure fell to 879 millibars – breaking the record for lowest pressure in any hurricane on record.
The eye of Hurricane Patricia made landfall on Oct. 23 at 6:15 p.m. CDT near Cuixmala in the State of Jalisco, southwest Mexico. Maximum sustained winds at landfall were estimated at 165 mph, still firmly within the Category 5 range on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
An automated weather observation site in Cuixmala reported a 185-mph wind with a gust of 211 mph at the time of landfall, but NOAA cautioned that these measurements have not been evaluated for quality or calibration.
Patricia made landfall in one of the least populated parts of Mexico’s Pacific Coast. Had the storm veered just a little bit farther north, it could have made a direct hit with Puerta Vallarta – or had it veered a little bit farther south, it could have devastated Manzanillo.
New Type Of El Nino Could Mean More Hurricanes Make Landfall
New Type Of El Nino Could Mean More Hurricanes Make Landfall
El Niño years typically result in fewer hurricanes forming in the Atlantic Ocean. But a new study suggests that the form of El Niño may be changing potentially causing not only a greater number of hurricanes than in average years, but also a greater chance of hurricanes making landfall, according to climatologists at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The study appears in the July 3, 2009, edition of the journal Science.
«Normally, El Niño results in diminished hurricanes in the Atlantic, but this new type is resulting in a greater number of hurricanes with greater frequency and more potential to make landfall,» said Peter Webster, professor at Georgia Tech’s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
That’s because this new type of El Niño, known as El Niño Modoki (from the Japanese meaning «similar, but different»), forms in the Central Pacific, rather than the Eastern Pacific as the typical El Niño event does. Warming in the Central Pacific is associated with a higher storm frequency and a greater potential for making landfall along the Gulf coast and the coast of Central America.
Even though the oceanic circulation pattern of warm water known as El Niño forms in the Pacific, it affects the circulation patterns across the globe, changing the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic. This regular type of El Niño (from the Spanish meaning «little boy» or «Christ child») is more difficult to forecast, with predictions of the December circulation pattern not coming until May. At first glance, that may seem like plenty of time. However, the summer before El Niño occurs, the storm patterns change, meaning that predictions of El Niño come only one month before the start of hurricane season in June. But El Niño Modoki follows a different prediction pattern.
«This new type of El Niño is more predictable,» said Webster. «We’re not sure why, but this could mean that we get greater warning of hurricanes, probably by a number of months.»
As to why the form of El Niño is changing to El Niño Modoki, that’s not entirely clear yet, said Webster.
«This could be part of a natural oscillation of El Niño,» he said. «Or it could be El Niño’s response to a warming atmosphere. There are hints that the trade winds of the Pacific have become weaker with time and this may lead to the warming occurring further to the west. We need more data before we know for sure.»
In the study, Webster, along with Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Chair Judy Curry and research scientist Hye-Mi Kim used satellite data along with historical tropical storm records and climate models.
The research team is currently looking at La Niña, the cooling of the surface waters in the Eastern and Central Pacific.
«In the past, La Nina has been associated with a greater than average number of North Atlantic hurricanes and La Nina seems to be changing its structure as well,» said Webster. «We’re vitally interested in understanding why El Niño-La Niña has changed. To determine this we need to run a series of numerical experiments with climate models.»
Hurricanes and Their Effects on Buildings
Preserving the Building
The severe and complex nature of hurricane-force winds presents special problems for protecting a building. Under normal circumstances, a building is designed to allow wind to flow over the structure. During a hurricane, a fully intact building envelope, or «outer skin,» allows wind to flow at, over and past the structure without damage. Preserving the envelope of the building is one the most important steps in preserving the integrity of the structure and ensuring non-destructive wind flow during hurricane-force winds.
During a hurricane, intense positive pressure is created on a structure as the wind impacts the building (windward face). As the wind flows over or around a structure it can cause «lift» on the roof or «suction» on the opposite side (leeward face). This «suction» is normally referred to as negative pressure. Negative pressure is always higher than the positive pressure acting upon a building during hurricane conditions. If the building envelope is breached, wind also enters the building, thereby causing a dramatic increase in internal pressure. This internal pressure, summed with the external pressure, can effectively double the force acting to lift the roof and push the walls outward (see Figure 2). One of the most susceptible components of the building envelope is a glazed opening. Glazing that is designed to accept the impact from wind-borne debris without evacuating the opening and causing a breach in the building envelope is desirable.
Wind and Debris
Sustained hurricane-force winds can last for several hours; gusting, turbulent winds repeatedly buffet a building; and, as a hurricane passes, winds slowly change direction, altering the direction of pressure being exerted on the building. During the sustained and high-speed winds of a hurricane, debris can be lifted from its at-rest position and become an airborne missile or wind-borne debris. Preservation of glazed openings and therefore the integrity of the building envelope is made difficult by the presence of wind-borne debris. In a hurricane, windborne debris can become a damaging missile. Large missiles, such as roof shingles and other construction materials, are common at heights up to 9 m (30 ft.) above grade; smaller missiles, such as roof gravel, are most prevalent at heights above 9 m (30 ft.). Following the impact from one of these missiles, building materials need to maintain the building envelope as they continue to be subjected to sustained and gusting winds until the hurricane passes.
Requirements for Protection
Hurricanes will occur; wind-borne debris will be present; and the result is an uncontrollable natural event. To prevent a hurricane from turning into a disaster, people and buildings need to be protected. To protect a building during a hurricane, the building envelope must be maintained. To prevent the building envelope from being compromised, windows and doors, typically the weakest link in a building’s envelope, must be safeguarded from penetration by wind-borne debris, and they must also remain in place throughout the remainder of the storm. Laminated glass with Saflex interlayers can be designed to handle the damaging impact from wind- borne debris and remain in the opening during cyclical wind loading. In the past, temporary or permanently attached shutters were used to protect residential and commercial buildings in hurricane-prone areas. Not all shuttered systems are capable of enduring impact and continuing to provide protection to the opening. Laminated glass with Saflex, in properly designed windows and doors, eliminates the need for shuttered systems because the glass will stay intact even if cracked.
Green and Sustainable
Green & Sustainable One of the nice things about being earth sensitive is that you benefit too!
Sustainable Vs. Green:
Wood windows and doors, which are prevalent in luxury homes, are commonly touted as «green» products. Although wood is technically green, don’t be misled – wood is only sustainable if harvested in compliance with a sustainable forest plan. On the other hand, aluminum is an abundant and sustainably harvested resource. In fact, about 8% of the earth’s crust consists of aluminum bauxite. This bountiful supply exceeds global demands and because of its recyclable nature, aluminum is the material for the next century. Additionally, 94% of the world’s supply of bauxite is mined in non-forested regions, minimizing global environmental impact.
Lasts Longer:
All windows and doors eventually must be replaced BUT aluminum windows and doors last decades longer than wood and vinyl. Consider the impact on the world’s landfills with all the wood and vinyl waste. As well, imagine the wasted energy on redundant manufacturing of short-lived wood and vinyl windows and doors.
Inert Coatings & Finishes:
We offer two types of finishes on our aluminum windows and doors: paint and anodizing. Both processes result in environmentally safe products that do not require refinishing. Because Luxury Glass Door’s products are factory finished for life, you need only keep them clean. Can you imagine how much toxic waste would be prevented if everyone chose aluminum? See the inside cover of our brochure for more information about painting and anodizing.
Avoid VOCs:
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemical compounds that outgas from many materials and can pollute the air in your home. Since Luxury Glass Doors’s painted finishes are factory cured at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, these compounds are safely removed. Neither wood nor vinyl can provide factory baked coatings.
Friendlier To Firemen:
If a fire were to occur in your home your aluminum would not emit toxic fumes. Other window products incinerate quickly and add to the flames but only windows and doors made from metal will not burn. Also, vinyl products are petroleum based and therefore pose a great fire hazard and emit toxic fumes. In fact, some rural communities prohibit vinyl window products.
Remnants Recycled:
Window and door fabrication produces waste destined for landfills. However, as part of our waste minimization strategy, 100% of our aluminum remnants are collected and melted down to make new windows and doors. This saves energy because aluminum production from scrap uses 95% less energy and limits the waste stream.
Recycled Metal:
Every aluminum window and door is made up of components (rollers, latches, weather-stripping…) as well as extrusions and glass. The extrusions are comprised of virgin aluminum and, on average, 40% – 50% of post consumer recycled content to provide the world with products whose supply is nearly unlimited.
Recycled Glass:
In addition to the high percentage of recycled aluminum used on all of our products, the glass we use comes from vendors who practice waste reduction by recycling remnants and glass scrap for future use. The recycling of glass uses significantly less energy than manufacturing from virgin materials, and also substantially reduces the production of carbon dioxide.
Sustainable Design:
Aluminum is a fantastic building product for those concerned about sustainability. It is naturally plentiful and perpetually surviving (recyclability). Moreover, aluminum rates very high in Life Cycle Assessment and leaves a small ecological footprint.
Simplified Logistics:
Because aluminum is a relatively lightweight building product, we can ship our windows and doors all over the world with little logistical waste. Even better, our windows and doors are created in such a way that far reaching markets can purchase glass locally and avoid the glass transit costs.