Florida is the No. 1 hurricane state, having been hit by 120 hurricanes between 1851 and 2018. Still, exact data on how hurricanes impact man-made structures and the natural environment has not been documented.
That is, until Florida Institute of Technology student Diego Robles Cortes, graduate student Jian Zhang, and the rest of their team began to gather wind data, according to Spectrum News 1.
The team at the Wind and Hurricane Impact Research Laboratory has been building wireless sensors that are placed on roofs, doors, and windows. These sensors measure wind pressure and temperature during storms.
The collected data can help researchers understand what is needed to build stronger infrastructure. It also enables state insurance regulators and companies to charge fair, science-based rates.
Technology used to measure a hurricane's impact, and the data collected, can better prepare impacted people and help them to clean up the mess with more ease via their fairer insurance.
It can also change the way structures are built for better protection against hurricanes.
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Hurricane damage is a reality for many consumers in hurricane-prone states. Thanks to the researchers' efforts, Florida property owners with hurricane insurance could save money once the study is completed.
Exacerbating the risks to property owners is the fact that hurricanes are becoming more dangerous. Storms intensify as ocean temperatures rise, Spectrum News 13 meteorologist Maureen McCann explained to the Scholastic Kids Press.
As storm surges become more powerful, coastal flooding escalates, and plants, animals, people, and property are impacted.
Hurricane damage in Florida can be extensive and has resulted in trillions of dollars in losses, which is why the Florida Institute of Technology has taken this project.
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The project description says, "The need to predict hurricane-induced losses for $3.6 trillion worth of existing insured structures exposed to potential hurricane devastation in the state of Florida has prompted the Florida Department of Insurance to charge a group of researchers with the task of developing a public hurricane loss projection model."
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