Preparing for a Hurricane in the Virgin Islands

OR
What to expect when buying property in the US Virgin Islands when it comes to extreme weather.

First of all, you must understand that the US Virgin Islands does not really have seasons. Although the hottest months are considered to be June July and August, the temperatures stay relatively consistant. Nice!  Nor do they have a "rainy" season to speak of. However, the months that normally show the most rain are May, and August through November. 

The US Virgin Islands is part of the Atlantic hurricane belt. The season runs from June 1st to the end of November. The Virgin Islands lie on the boundary of the North American plate and the Caribbean Plate. Natural hazards include earthquakes, tropical cyclones, and hurricanes. These types of storms are very predictable thanks to the advances in meteorological technology. Forecasters can follow a storms path and issue warnings with increasing accuracy. National Hurricane Service  Lets start with the basics of retrofitting your home to protect it from natural occurances such as hurricanes.

Anywhere your home is vulnurable to wind is where you want to look first:

Garage Doors - Having double wide garage doors makes them a bit more suseptible then single doors due to thier size. Reinforcing the weakest points is a good idea. Heavy hinges, strong end and vertical suports are adviseable. Check with local garage door companies for a "Retrofit Kit" for your particular kind of door.  Newer garage doors have building code standards for impact and pressure that must be met.

Entry Doors - Whether you have double or single entry doors, they should have at least three hinges and a deadbolt security lock. Double doors should have the added protection of the in-active door being bolted closed at both the top and the bottom.

Windows - Typically with Virgin Island property you will find storm-shutters on most homes. Some of the newer homes and current re-models will have "Laminated" window systms in place. This is plastic bonded directly to the glass.

Detachable plywood shutters will do the trick providing they have adequate fasteners. The American Plywood Association and the Engineered Wood Association offer 5 construction designs in a PDF format to download for free.  If the property in question has permanent shutters, these need to be evaluated as well. Be sure the shutters are not so flexible that they would bend and break a window if a rigid piece of debris was blown into it. Roll down shutter can be especially suseptible to this. Check where they are connected to the house, and inspect their durability and excessive wear.

Patio Doors or Sliding Glass Doors -  Sliding glass doors can be one of your most vulnerable for wind and water damage. Newer remodels have tempered glass and are labeled with an etching stating tempered glass. You can usually find this makring in one of the corners of the glass itself. Sliding glass doors are best protected with shutters.

Soffits - A Soffit is the underside of the outer edge of a roof. In 2004, most vinyl and aluminum soffits were blown off making water intrusion more likely. Both wood backing and adequate fastening to the wood supports is extremely important. DisasterSafety.org says "If you have soffits that extend more than 18" from the wall, push up in the middle with your hand or object to see if there is a wood support like the one shown above. If there is, install sharp pointed stainless steel screws every 12" through the soffit material and into this support." You do not need to hire a professional for this. A handyman can help with this project. Water damage is also something to think about.When a wind is blowing horizantally, Understand that even the lowest hurricane wind, which is about 74 m.p.h. can push water up a vertical wall about 4 inches. Be sure to check all around the outside of your property and make sure all pipe leads, cables in and out of your home, electrical boxes, water heater lines, and water pipes all have sufficient weather proof sealants.