How do you test the effects of a hurricane on your humble abode? Why, you could always build a $40 million room that can simulate category three hurricanes, that’s of course, if you have $40 million lying under your bed. The Institute for Business & Home Safety, a group funded by the insurance industry, spent that amount to create its new state of the art disaster lab in South Carolina, allowing them to test how various construction practices and materials hold up to catastrophic weather. The system uses 105 gigantic fans capable of blowing nearly 100mph gusts to recreate tornados and hurricanes, and a 750,000 gallon water tank to supply the rain. These simulated hurricanes cost about $100,000 a pop, but apparently it’s a worthwhile investment for them to learn. You can check out a video showing two similarly constructed houses, real full-sized houses, one of which sports an additional five grand of structural improvements, and see how they stand up to the challenges thrown against them.
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