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Science Nation: ManMade Wall of Wind Creates Hurricane Force Winds to Test Construction

2 minutes 32 seconds

Now Playing As: Captioned (English) (change)

A Category 5 hurricane is a monster of a storm that most people would want to avoid. But, Civil Engineer Arindam Chowdhury actually recreates those monster hurricane force winds in hopes of helping people better prepare for the real thing. With support from the National Science Foundation, Chowdhury and his team at Florida International University and the International Hurricane Research Center designed a 15 foot tall Wall of Wind (WOW). The goal is to see if low rise structures and building materials can withstand the same wind forces they would face in a full-blown hurricane. Part of the National Science Foundation Series “Science Nation.”

Media Details

Runtime: 2 minutes 32 seconds

Computer screens with color-shaded images of a spiral shaped storm. Caption: study hurricanes, tornadoes, and blizzards from the inside.
Science Nation
Episode 1
3 minutes 14 seconds
Grade Level: 7 - 12
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Episode 2
3 minutes 9 seconds
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Episode 3
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Episode 4
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Episode 5
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Episode 6
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Episode 7
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Episode 8
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Episode 9
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Episode 10
3 minutes 19 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12