If a building is located in a hurricane-prone area, it should be designed to survive hurricanes. All wind-borne debris standards are performance based. They allow various options for providing protection. The primary choices for hurricane protection are storm shutters and impact-resistant laminated glass. Regardless of what is selected, it must be tested and certified to comply with an appropriate wind-borne debris protection standard.
Storm shutters provide a visible physical barrier.
However, they are difficult to employ even on new designs. Provisions must be made for storage, and they are difficult to install on multi-story buildings as a storm approaches. In addition, they tend to be unsightly, detracting from the building's appearance. In spite of all this, the fact they provide this visible physical barrier provides a certain feeling of comfort to some building occupants. A better option for hurricane protection, particularly on commercial and multi-story buildings, is laminated glass.