Owners of glass home on Kure Beach confident house can withstand Hurricane Dorian

By Monica Laliberte, WRAL executive producer/consumer reporter

Kure Beach, N.C. — When you ride out a hurricane, you do so at your own risk.

For one family that lives on Kure Beach, that takes on a new dimension because their house is made out of glass.

The home is constructed of glass virtually from floor to ceiling, along the pool and even to the roof top deck.

Bill McGonigal, who happens to own a glass business, built the home last year.

What does one do when their whole house is made of glass?

“Tough it out basically,” McGonigal said. “Glass is impact resistant (and) it’ll break it (and) won’t let anything come in.”

He said the glass on his home is thicker than a car windshield.

“It’ll take a 2×4 at 80 miles an hour straight on,” he said.

McGonigal and his wife said they stayed in the house when Hurricane Matthew hit and the building withstood that storm’s winds and rain.

“You could feel the glass vibrate because it’s so tall (and) the house shakes,” he said. “I put my forehead against it (and) would feel it in and out as the gusts would hit it. It’ll take 150-160 (mph winds) so we should be OK.”