Glass Industry Rallies as Hurricanes Slam into Southeast

After growing from a Category 1 to a Category 5 storm in just 12 hours, Hurricane Milton slammed into the Florida coast near Siesta Key as a Category 3 on Wednesday evening. The storm followed on the heels of Hurricane Helene, which tore through Florida, the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee. In the face of these storms, the glass and glazing industry has stood firm, offering support to those in need.

This includes Cardinal Glass, which provided shelter, food, and essential supplies to employees affected by Helene in Statesboro and Adel, Georgia. Donations have also come from throughout the glass industry to support those impacted by both storms, including Binswanger Glass, FreMarq Innovations, Clearlight Glass and Mirror, YKK, Salem FTG, Lee and Cates Glass, MY Shower Door, and many others.

The support is needed, as Helene and Milton killed more than 200 people and destroyed countless towns and businesses, such as Asheville, North Carolina-based Britt and Tilson Glass. The company’s 100-year-old building was destroyed as flooding ravaged Western North Carolina.

The donations come as a respite in the face of hardship.

“Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts to all those who have reached out and offered assistance,” write Joe and Katrina (Britt) Martins of Britt and Tilson Glass. “Though we wish we could personally get back to each and every one of you, the situation is currently overwhelming, and we appreciate your patience.”

Milton Hits Florida

According to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, damage from Milton failed to reach predicted “worst-case scenarios.” Still, it brought massive amounts of rain, 18 inches in some spots, such as in St. Petersburg.

The main threat during Tuesday and into Wednesday night were tornadoes, which spun up throughout the state and killed four people as of Thursday morning. Hours before Milton landed, as many as 19 confirmed tornadoes touched down throughout the southern half of Florida, particularly near Port Saint Lucie. Reports indicate that dozens of tornadoes spun up during the storm.

Milton also brought 120 mph sustained winds, which ripped up trees, tore the fabric roof off Tropicana Field, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays stadium, left a 30-by-40-foot hole in the Melbourne Orlando International Airport, caused a crane to crash into the side of the Tampa Bay Times building, damaged homes and shattered windows.

The Water Threat

Historically, the main threat of hurricanes for buildings and homes is not the wind but rain and storm surges, especially in low-lying Florida. The state has some of the most stringent building codes in the United States. The Florida Building Code (FBC), established in 1992 following Hurricane Andrew, mandates that new construction withstand hurricane-force winds and feature shutters or impact-resistant glass in all openings.

However, once excessive moisture enters a building, especially in coastal areas impacted by storm surges, the interior can become unsalvageable due to weakened structural components and mold growth, which loves warm, moist areas. Lothar Erkens of Winco Window Company explains that window seal failures are often culprits to interior damage because most people fail to notice seal deficiencies until it is too late. This leads to water infiltration even though the glass and frame are structurally sound.