How Strong Are the Average Hurricanes in Florida?

Few regions of the United States have to deal with the severe weather that Florida residents do during hurricane season. Between the torrid rains, gale-force winds and extreme unpredictability of tropical storm weather, it’s all Florida homeowners can do to prep their homes against anything and everything Mother Nature has to throw at them.

Unfortunately, no shingled roof is going to stand up to a good, strong hurricane. Many tile roofs fall short as well, unless they’re installed and maintained to a superior level of resilience. This is why it’s so important to find the right roofing contractor in Central Florida. Not only will a good contractor prepare your home for the worst of the worst—they’ll also be there when you inevitably need repairs and maintenance.

Protecting your home from a hurricane

Just how strong does your roofing need to be to combat the strength and recklessness of a Florida hurricane? Take a look at some eye-opening facts about hurricanes that have hit Florida since 2000:

  • No less than 63 hurricanes or developing tropical storms have hit the Florida coast since 2000—more than anywhere else in the world.
  • During 2004—the most prolific hurricane year of the decade—one in every five homes in Florida was damaged. The total cost of damage was more than $64 billion in this year alone!
  • Hurricanes have hit land in Florida every month except for January and March. This means your home needs to be ready year-round against severe weather!
  • Florida is often the first-hit area of landfall, and thus experiences the strongest level of hurricane. Of the 10 most intense United States hurricanes, four hit Florida at peak strength.

Wind is the primary tool of destruction during a hurricane, however rain and hail can both do a decent amount of damage as well. We tend to think of high winds throwing debris into homes and other buildings (which causes a majority of damage); however, rain can quickly cause flash floods and runoff problems that wreak havoc on homeowner properties. Protecting against these natural elements is a good first step in keeping your home safe from the awesome power of a hurricane.

Realizing hurricane strength

There are five classifications for hurricanes, laid out on the Saffir–Simpson scale. They depict hurricanes in increasing levels of violence and danger, largely based on their wind speed:

  • Category 1: 74–95 mph winds
  • Category 2: 96–110 mph winds
  • Category 3: 111–129 mph winds
  • Category 4: 130–156 mph winds
  • Category 5: greater than 157 mph winds

As you can see, even a low-level hurricane can cause major damage to your home—especially your roof if it’s not constructed to stand up to this kind of abuse!

Though not much is going to stand strong against the likes of a Category 3, 4 or 5 hurricane, you may be able to fend off some damage from a lower-level one with the help of a good roofing contractor in Central Florida.

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