Monday morning just before dawn. It made Sunday’s return from Atlanta, with 18-hours in transit (actual flight time, layovers, and waiting around) well worth it.

But it isn’t always as calm and peaceful as it was this morning. If more frequent and potentially more intense hurricanes in and around Hawaii are going to be the new normal, thanks to global climate change, would it be prudent to invest in hurricane protection for the doors and windows of our house? That’s one of the questions that I spent time thinking about while relaxing in Atlanta (while Meda was off conferencing most of the week).

When we did extensive renovations on my parents’ house in Kahala before moving in, it included replacing the old single-wall construction with solid, double-wall construction that is supposed to withstand hurricane force winds. But we also wanted lots of light, and maximum appreciation of the yard, so we’ve got lots of potentially vulnerable windows.

While exploring online, I found a good handbook done by the UH SeaGrant program with advice for homeowners on preparing for future storms. It explained that when a door or window in a home is breached during a storm, it causes an increase in internal pressure that could cause the roof to be blown off or walls exploded outward. Not a pleasant scenario to contemplate.

So I’m wondering if any of you have gone beyond boarding up windows with plywood to provide hurricane protection? I see that there are a variety of protective shutters, roll down or accordion window covers, hurricane fabric, and other similar products marketed on the mainland. Are they available here? Are there contractors who specialize in such things? Can protection be provided that isn’t a visual disaster?

Any advice or experience you can share would be appreciated.