10 Ways Technology Can Protect People During Storms

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Whether you’re by the ocean or deep in the U.S. Great Plains, nothing can be as frightening as severe weather. Anyone who’s lived through a hurricane like Katrina in 2005 or Sandy in 2012 knows the destruction they can cause. While flooding is a huge concern, the most immediate danger from hurricanes is the intense winds, which can reach over 150 miles (241 kilometers) per hour in the worst cases — enough to uproot trees, down power lines, tear off roofs, and level walls. A storm of this magnitude could leave an area unlivable for weeks or even months [source: National Hurricane Center].

Tornadoes are a danger even far from the coast – these rotating columns of air can strike a small area with wind speeds ranging from 100 miles (161 kilometers) per hour to as high as 300 miles (482 kilometers) per hour [source: Jha]. A deadly tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri in 2011 killed 162 people and caused an estimated $2.8 billion in damage [source: Rafferty]. And with the effects of climate change, scientists warn these violent storms could become even more intense in the years to come [source: NASA].

While the news is grim, there is a silver lining: technology may offer a way to better withstand the destructive force of powerful winds. Let’s explore how technology can help protect us from storms.

10: Supercomputers

To predict storm behavior and understand their dynamics, meteorologists now rely on a new forecasting tool: supercomputers. These powerful machines create detailed virtual models of hurricane seasons. Before the summer hurricane season starts, experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gather extensive data from weather satellites, feeding it into a supercomputer at the Climate Prediction Center in Gaithersburg, MD. Using advanced computer simulations, these systems model how the atmosphere and ocean interact to predict when storms will form, their size, and how they will behave [source: Strickland].

Government meteorologists are so confident in the power of their modeling that they recently upgraded their supercomputers to handle an incredible 213 trillion calculations per second (about 200,000 times faster than an iPad) and store 2,000 terabytes of data — roughly the equivalent of 2 billion digital photos. This immense processing capability has already boosted the accuracy of their weather forecasts by 15 percent, providing people in hurricane-prone areas with extra time to prepare and evacuate.

As Andy Nash from the National Weather Service explained in a 2013 interview, "Instead of knowing where [Hurricane] Irene would go just three days in advance, we can now predict it three-and-a-half to four days ahead" [source: Borelli].

To improve data for weather modeling, NOAA has deployed a new fleet of weather satellites capable of capturing three-dimensional thermal images of the atmosphere [source: NOAA].

9: Enhanced Weather Radar

Tornadoes are a terrifying danger — not only because they claim hundreds of lives each year in the U.S., but because they’ve always been notoriously difficult to predict and track. However, forecasters at the National Weather Service are now leveraging a technological breakthrough that they hope will improve their ability to predict the path of tornadoes.

The National Weather Service’s existing NEXTRAD radar system has long depended on 150 large radar antennas scattered across the country. These antennas, mounted on towering structures, track storms that are over 100 miles (162 kilometers) away. Yet, the old system has its limitations. The electromagnetic radiation pulses sent out by the antennas travel in straight lines, and as a result, the Earth obstructs their view of distant objects and those close to the ground. This creates a blind spot that covers approximately 75 percent of the atmosphere beneath 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) in altitude, where much of the weather occurs.

CASA (Collaborative Adapting Sensing of the Atmosphere) radar, developed by a consortium of universities, aims to address this coverage gap with a large number of smaller antennas placed on buildings and cell towers. During a 2011 trial, researchers used CASA to track a tornado near Chickasha, Oklahoma, discovering that it was heading north. They were then able to direct first responders to the area within minutes [source: Hamilton].

8: Cyclone-resistant Roofs

During a violent storm, one of the biggest dangers is having the roof torn off your house. The strong winds push against the downwind wall, exert outward pressure on the opposite and side walls, and lift the roof upward. If the roof beams aren’t securely connected, the roof can detach, leaving the house's walls unstable. This causes the walls to collapse outward, making the house appear as though it’s exploding [source: DeMatto].

This is a common issue, especially when tornadoes strike. In areas not prone to hurricanes, most building codes only require roof trusses to be secured to the exterior walls with -inch (9-centimeter) nails. These connections are strong enough to handle brief gusts of wind up to 90 miles (145 kilometers) per hour. However, even an EF1 tornado, the weakest type of tornado, produces far stronger winds [source: Hadhazy].

In the future, you might be able to purchase a home constructed with super-strong carbon fiber or Kevlar, the same material used in bulletproof vests, offering protection against these powerful forces [source: Fox]. But for now,

you can install galvanized-steel "hurricane clips" to reinforce the trusses or rafters of your house. These clips make the roof more resilient, allowing it to withstand winds of up to 110 miles per hour (177 kilometers per hour). A two-story, 2,500-square-foot home can be outfitted with these clips for about $550, including labor [source: DeMatto].

7: Storm-Resistant Doors

Even if your house survives a storm without being destroyed, the entrance could still suffer significant damage. This can be a serious problem, especially when you're trying to stay safe from both the weather and potential looters who might exploit the chaos of a disaster.

Texas Tech's Wind Science and Research Center conducts rigorous tests on doors for storm resistance, using an enormous air bladder that mimics the intensity of an EF5 tornado, the most extreme wind force known. (Here’s a list of doors they’ve evaluated.) One of the advanced products, Curries' StormPro 361 door and frame assembly, features a door-within-a-door design, with a 10-gauge steel outer shell enclosing a layer of polyurethane insulation and an additional steel layer inside [source: Rice, DeMatto].

However, that $5,500+ door could prove ineffective if you have a bigger issue -- an interior garage with a flimsy slide-up garage door. Such doors are highly vulnerable, and if one fails during a tornado, the resulting internal pressure could potentially collapse your walls and ceilings.

To prevent this, choose a robust garage door and consider hiring a technician to enhance its counterbalance system by adding weights. This adjustment reduces the likelihood of it rolling up during high winds [source: FLASH]. You could also invest in a specially designed bracing system like Secure Door [source: DeMatto].

6: Unbreakable Walls

Even if your roof and doors manage to stay intact during a tornado or hurricane, the fierce winds will relentlessly batter your walls directly — and might even hurl large debris at them, traveling at speeds of up to 200 miles (321 kilometers) per hour. For a house that can withstand a storm, your walls must be just as resilient.

Back in the late 1960s, inventor Werner Gregori introduced a breakthrough technology: insulating concrete forms, or ICF. These are polystyrene forms that lock together in a tongue-and-groove pattern, with either plastic or steel connectors [source: ICF Builder]. Picture giant, durable Lego blocks, and you’ll get the basic idea. Once the forms are in place, a steel frame is added for reinforcement, and concrete is poured into the molds. The result is a solid, insulated, fire-resistant wall that is 2 feet (61 centimeters) thick, capable of withstanding extreme winds [source: DeMatto].

One such storm-resistant wall system, the ARXX ICF wall, is engineered to endure debris hurled by winds reaching 250 miles per hour (402 kilometers per hour) [source: ARXX].

ARXX asserts that the cost of implementing ICF technology is not significantly higher than using traditional wood and mortar. Additionally, it can substantially lower your heating and cooling costs, as an ICF structure typically requires 44% less energy for heating and 32% less for cooling [source: DeMatto].

5: Shatter-resistant Windows

A common misconception is that opening your windows during a tornado or hurricane helps balance the pressure inside and outside the house, allowing the storm to pass without causing damage. Unfortunately, this is false. An open window simply provides a clear path for high-speed debris and can actually increase the pressure within the house [source: DeMatto]. Therefore, you should keep your windows shut during storms. However, you also want to ensure they don't shatter and scatter sharp glass fragments around.

A practical solution is to install impact-resistant glass. (In areas like South Florida, where hurricanes are frequent, building codes mandate this.) There are two main types of shatter-resistant glass. The first type consists of two glass layers separated by a plastic membrane, which strengthens the window against repeated impacts and keeps the shards contained if it breaks. The second type features a plastic film applied to the outer surface of the glass to catch fragments, though it’s not as durable [source: Flasch].

Shatter-resistant glass isn't completely shatterproof. To be extra cautious, you'll want to secure your windows with plywood. Rather than nailing the plywood directly, use a product like the PlyLox Window Clip, which fits snugly into the window's corners and resists being dislodged. In tests, these clips were able to withstand winds and impacts of up to 150 miles (241 kilometers) per hour [source: DeMatto].

4: Tie-down Systems for Structures

In 1921, a fierce cyclone struck Mint Spring, Virginia, completely lifting a frame house owned by the Ballew family off its foundation. The house was carried briefly into the air before being slammed back to the ground about 50 feet (15 meters) from its original spot. Miraculously, the family matriarch, who had been inside, was found unconscious but alive amidst the wreckage, and her young son was found a short distance away, also alive in a nearby field, according to a local newspaper [source: News Leader].

Engineers have determined that it only takes wind speeds of 105 miles (169 kilometers) per hour — about the intensity of an EF1 tornado — to generate enough vertical suction or uplift to rip a roof off a house [source: Kennedy].

Naturally, this is not a scenario you'd want to face. To avoid it, consider using a cable system like Cable-Tite to secure your house's frame to the foundation. By tightening the cables, you apply a continuous downward force on the structure. This solution is ideal for new builds or significant renovations [source: Cable-Tite].

3: A Smarter Electrical Grid

Even a simple thunderstorm can disrupt electrical power in certain areas, and major storms make things even worse. For instance, Hurricane Sandy in 2012 caused widespread power outages, affecting 8.5 million people along the East Coast. A month later, 36,000 people in New York and New Jersey were still without electricity [source: Scott].

However, the frequency of storm-induced blackouts could be reduced if utility companies upgraded the outdated electrical grid with "smart" systems. These grids, equipped with advanced sensors and control devices, can monitor power demand and system performance, allowing for more efficient electricity distribution. The "grid" encompasses all the electrical components, like wires, substations, and transformers that generate and manage power. In the same way smartphones incorporate computers, smart grids integrate all electrical network functions with two-way digital technology [source: Dept. of Energy]. Additionally, smart grids can tap into local energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines, reducing reliance on centralized plants and transmission lines.

Thanks to their advanced sensors, smart grids enable utility companies to quickly identify and fix damage caused by storms. They also support decentralized power generation and storage, which means that neighborhoods isolated from the main power lines can still maintain some electricity access. Several cities and states in the U.S. are already adopting smart grids or looking for funding to implement them [source: Hardesty, Kingsbury].

2: Emergency Weather Radio

Even if you manage to survive a hurricane safely, you may face another issue: not being able to learn what's happening outside your immediate area. Winds can knock down above-ground phone lines, and cell towers along with broadband internet and cable TV services are vulnerable to damage as well.

Being disconnected from weather bulletins during such a disaster could put you in even more danger. That's why it's recommended to have a weather radio that can pick up NOAA broadcasts on VHF (very high frequency) channels, which regular AM/FM radios cannot access [source: NOAA]. These radios often feature hand cranks and/or solar panels to recharge the battery without external power. Some models also include alarms to notify rescue teams, flashlights, and even cell-phone chargers. Prices typically range from $20 to $200 [source: Consumer Reports].

1: Old-school Telephones

Do you remember when every house had a simple copper phone line running into it, with a wall jack where the phone could be plugged in? The phones themselves had coiled cords connecting the receiver to the base, and they didn’t need any batteries to work?

Americans have quickly moved away from that nostalgic technology, opting instead for wireless cell phones and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems, which use broadband fiber-optic cables to convert voice into digital data, much like websites or emails.

Since 2000, when the U.S. had 186 million copper phone lines, approximately 100 million have been disconnected. Today, only one in four American homes still uses this outdated connection. Phone companies find it too expensive to maintain as demand for landlines continues to shrink [source: Svensson].

While modern phone connections may appear to be more reliable on clear days, they often fail during weather emergencies. Even worse, the batteries in cordless and cell phones eventually drain. On the other hand, old-fashioned phones that connect to copper lines tend to work well, provided the line is not disrupted by fallen telephone poles during a storm [source: Grgurich]. That’s why it’s a good idea to keep an old-school phone for emergencies. Sadly, this may soon be a thing of the past, but take advantage of it while you still can.