Already, FIU has done work with WeatherPredict Consulting in Raleigh, N.C., which is developing a new product called Aero Edge that could reduce wind pressure along a roof's sharp edges and corners. The scientists already have data that shows that 70 percent of all roof damage starts at the edges.

Craig Tillman, president of WeatherPredict, the U.S. subsidiary of Renaissance Re, says the company is still testing various configurations for Aero Edge. But tests with FIU's Wall of Wind are showing promising results.

"This technology could help existing homes go through a Category 2 or 3 hurricane. That's why we're spending so much time testing it, " Tillman says.

PRICE MATTERS

A key element to all this research is developing products and techniques that are cost-effective so consumers and builders will use them.

Scott Schiff's team at Clemson University is working with a company to develop a better sheathing product -- lighter weight, but more impact-resistant -- to wrap wall studs and roof framing before sheet rock and roof panels go up.

Although a product might work better, "if it costs 10 times more, there's no point in doing it. But if the extra cost is marginal, then more people get motivated to try new technology, " says Schiff, a professor of engineering and director of the university's Wind and Structural Engineering Research Labs.

Along with developing more wind-resistant products and changing building codes to make homes and buildings stronger, researchers have started studying the effects of aging and durability.

How long do these reinforced connectors and fasteners hold up? How much of a beating can shutters take after being exposed to harsh environmental elements such as sun and salt air?

Clemson is monitoring homes along the coast that are at least 15 years old. On the university campus, researchers have studied some 50-year-old buildings built "well before hurricane ties were common and lots more nails were used to put down roof sheathing, " says Schiff.

"We need to know how some elements of a home are wearing and what needs to be replaced over time, " he adds, comparing the process to airplane maintenance where aircraft parts are changed after a certain number of hours in operation.

RESEARCHERS MEET

This week, researchers will gather at the Savannah River National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy's Applied Research and Development Lab in Aiken, S.C., to review the progress that's been made on a variety of wind mitigation measures so far and brainstorm on which problem areas still need to be tackled -- and in what order.

With Fay, Gustav and Hannah and now possibly this week with Ike, the mobile wind towers that researchers deploy give them real data from real storms. The sensors they attach to homes in the storms' paths provide information on how wind pressures affect existing structures. The data allows researchers to validate tests they've done in their labs and also evaluate changes already made in building codes and materials to see what works and what doesn't.

"If we make the homes more resilient, we make the community more resilient, " says Schiff.

THE POWER OF WIND Researchers and builders say the best way to survive a major storm is with a fortied home. According to Simpson Strong Tie, a San Francisco area company that manufactures structural connectors used in building construction, the force of Mother Nature's gusts can have four effects.

1. Uplift
The row of windows over a house, creating a strong lifting effect that can "lift'' a portion the roo?ng material covering the roof or the entire structure. To counteract this, securely attaching the roof to the walls is key.

2. Racking
Wind can also exert horizontal pressure on walls, causing a house to tilt. If not attached securely, gabled walls can collapse under wind pressure, possibly bringing down the roof.

3. Sliding
Strong horizontal wind pressure can also push a home, or cause it to slide, from its foundation.

4. Overturning
Lateral pressure can cause the walls of a home to rotate off the foundation, especially if the house can't rack or slide.

SOURCE: Simpson Strong Tie Co.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HARDENING YOUR HOME
These sites offer information on hardening your home:

• Institute for Business and Home Safety
• Federal Alliance for Safe Homes
• Florida Catastrophic Storm Risk Management Center at Florida State University

These websites explain how the mitigation credits on insurance premiums work:

• Office of Insurance Regulation
• Citizens Property Insurance

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