Hurricane Irma: One Year Later

It has been more than one year since Hurricane Irma, a Category 4 storm, hit the Florida Keys and Florida’s west coast.As of Aug. 1, almost $3 billion in low-interest United States Small Business Administration disaster loans, National Flood Insurance Program payments, and FEMA disaster assistance has been dispersed to Florida for recovery and rebuilding to help Hurricane Irma survivors.According to United States Senator Marco Rubio, although the state has recovered well from Hurricane Irma’s destruction, the work is not done, including “economic recovery needs and canal debris removal.”“I’m pleased with the progress,” Rubio said in a prepared press release, “but there is more work to be done. The work of our communities is vital in these efforts.”Other government efforts include a $340 million-grant to the State of Florida for citrus production recoveries from Hurricane Irma, from the 2018 through the 2020 crop years. This will also include reimbursement for the cost of buying and planting trees, irrigation systems’ repairs, and more.“Last year, our nation experienced some of the most significant disasters we have seen in decades, some back-to-back, at the most critical time in their production year,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue in a prepared press release. “Our team is working as quickly as possible to make this available to farmers in need and continues to provide excellent customer service, which began the day the storm hit through a successful recovery within local communities.”Politicians aren’t the only ones who are working to help the state continue to recover from Hurricane Irma’s wrath.In addition to financial help, Irma also brought physical help to those who were impacted by the storm. About 47,000 people volunteered more than 1.5 million hours to help Irma’s survivors.The Florida Keys were probably the area most affected by Irma, but much of the Keys are doing better one year later. Many of their most popular tourist areas, such as Mallory Square and Robbie’s Hungry Tarpon Restaurant, are back in business. Unfortunately, though, there are many homes and buildings that were badly damaged or completely destroyed that have not been rebuilt. Many jobs were lost, and have not come back.Infrastructure isn’t even the biggest concern in recovery from Hurricane Irma. Like the Florida Keys, many South Florida areas depend on tourism dollars, and tourism has suffered in the cities that were impacted the most by Hurricane Irma. Tourism industry has been very slow to recover, and many areas are down by double-digit percentages.Irma first made landfall in the United States near the Keys with winds over 130 miles per hour. When it was all said and done, there were billions of dollars of destruction in its wake, and 92 deaths in the United States. Irma became the fifth costliest hurricane in history.One of the main takeaways from Hurricane Irma, is that the residents of South Florida still need a better understanding of how to prepare for a hurricane, to protect their families, homes and businesses from the damaging effects.Here at Castle Impact Windows, we would love to help the people of South Florida be more prepared. Many people hear our name and think “they just sell windows.” That is only partially true. We do sell windows, they aren’t your everyday windows, and we do more than windows. Castle Impact Windows also sells doors, and hurricane shutters. Our hurricane product solutions have been technologically engineered for maximum protection from damage caused by hurricanes and violent storms.Castle Impact Windows has been in business since 1969, and we have done our homework on how to best protect homes and offices from the damage done by hurricanes and storms. We offer free estimates, and our goal isn’t selling windows, doors and folding shutters… it is to help protect the people, homes and businesses of South Florida. Please give us a call today, toll free, at (800) 643-6371, email us at info@castleimpactwindows.com, or visit our website for more information or get a free estimate. We care about you, and we care about your property. Contact us today, and be prepared for the next hurricane, because it will happen. It’s just a matter of time!