As much of the country experiences record temperatures and sweltering heat the southern coasts have been preparing for one of the most dangerous seasons of the year: hurricane season. With the recent landfall of Hurricane Alex and this week’s concern over what could have been Tropical Storm Bonnie, residents of the Gulf Coast are preparing their property to withstand hurricane conditions. And for some, this includes window film installations.

Chris Smeltz, marketing manager of ProTech Coating Services in Pinellas Park, Fla., says he has noticed a sudden rush in window film sales. “As soon as a storm pops up everyone calls immediately,” says Smeltz. “Unfortunately everyone waits until there is a storm coming.”

All along the Gulf Coast window film companies are seeing a similar pattern. Abid Quraishi, general manager for Solar X Window Film Systems in Houston, adds, “We do see a lot of action being so close to the Gulf of Mexico. Whenever there is something developing in the Gulf, people’s awareness heightens and the media creates a frenzy.”

In the past, cities along the gulf coast have been hit hard by hurricanes and have learned what to do to protect their property and themselves. Quraishi remembers, “After Hurricane Ike, there was a lot of glass replacement throughout Greater Houston and Galveston. One of our customers who had glass replaced and had safety film previously applied to it, said that the film worked great in keeping the broken glass together,” says Quraishi. “We did not get one phone call from an unsatisfied customer.”

Likewise, ProTech Coating Services was involved in the post-storm work left behind by Hurricane Charley. “We cover 16 counties so when Charley came through we had a lot of clean up,” says Smeltz.

Following Hurricane Ike, Solar X Window Film Systems started to see increasing interest in window film. “After the effects of Hurricane Ike, customers’ concern about hurricane protection has increased,” says Quraishi. “With our marketing efforts, people are becoming more aware that window film is a viable option to give increased protection to their windows.”

Hurricane season, which begins June 1 and runs through November 30, is expected to be particularly active this year. The National Hurricane Center tracks this year’s early hurricane activity as unusual compared to previous years (CLICK HERE to find out more).

Smeltz agrees that this hurricane season is likely to be a tough one. “I’ve been in the area for quite some time and the way the weather has been acting it seems like it will be a much more active season. This area hasn’t had a direct hit in a while, but we do get the winds.”

Quraishi remains optimistic about this season for his company. “The economy is down. Everyone is feeling the effects of it, but no one wants to take a loss so they don’t mind spending money to protect what they have. You never know with mother nature…time will tell.” 

For more information on the upcoming hurricane season follow the links below.

AM850- Weather Centers Prepare for an Active Hurricane Season

New York Times- Natural Disasters Happen. Will Your Home Be Ready?

USA Today- Early Alex Could Be Sign of Season