As weather disasters mount, how prepared are we for the next hurricane?

With billion-dollar weather disasters mounting in the U.S., experts like Rima Taher at NJIT are reexamining how buildings are engineered and fortified to withstand damage, particularly from the high winds of hurricanes. Indeed, the frequency and magnitude of such disasters demand new engineering approaches and stronger safeguards.

Between 1980 and 2021, the National Centers for Environmental Information recorded more than 300 weather and climate disasters that caused at least $1 billion in damage — an average of more than seven a year. The numbers peaked in 2019, when 22 such disasters cumulatively caused more than $100 billion in damage. Across the whole period, the top two types of disasters were severe storms (141) and tropical cyclones (56). Source: U.S. Billion-Dollar Disaster Events

Taher, a licensed professional engineer who specializes in structural technology, structure stability, architectural cognizance and engineering standards, can answer a range of questions related to severe storm preparedness, including:

• What measures have been taken to mitigate mass flooding?
• Are buildings now better prepared?
• Have new building codes been implemented and are they effective?
• What areas, places or structures are still vulnerable to the fierce winds and massive amounts of water a Category 2 or 3 storm brings?

To interview Taher, the author of “Building Design for Wind Forces,” simply click on the button below.