Withstanding Hurricanes

Hurricane season began June 1, and NOAA’s annual hurricane forecast for the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico calls for 12 to 18 named storms, with six to 10 becoming hurricanes. The agency predicts up to six major hurricanes, with wind speeds above 111 mph. Hurricanes are some of the most devastating weather events to…

A Wall of Wind!

Hurricanes are, by many measures, the most devastating of all catastrophic natural hazards affecting the U.S. In economic terms alone, the average annual loss of $1.3 billion recorded pre-1990 (in constant 2006 dollars) has spiraled to $35.8 billion post-2000. A first-of-its-kind wind machine at Florida International University, dubbed the Wall of Wind, is now enabling…