FLASH Senior Vice President of Education and Technical Programs Mike Rimoldi addressed the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) Southeast Region members at its February meeting in Orlando, Florida on February 22. The AAMA is a trusted source of education and standards in the fenestration industry. Mike updated the group of architects, engineers, and window and door manufacturers on the damage caused during the 2017 hurricane season. 

Mike explained that it is not uncommon for hurricane prevention to only focus on the coastal-facing side of the building even though winds in tropical storms can come from all directions. "Impact windows and doors aren't enough," he said. "The whole building needs to be reinforced."

"The 2017 hurricane season was one of the most active on record," said AAMA Southeast Region Board President Dean Ruark, P.E., and Vice President of Product and Management for PGT Custom Windows + Doors. "It is incredible how far we've come since Hurricane Andrew, where homes are now stronger, fortified, and better prepared to weather these storms. However, our work is far from over. Now is an opportune time to come together as an industry, to share our findings following these storms, and generate new and better ways to prepare for the next one."

Partner Spotlight - Daniel Smith Ph.D. 

Daniel is a post-doc research fellow with the Cyclone Testing Station at James Cook University. His research experience covers a wide range of wind engineering disciplines including: insurance claims analysis for severe wind events, field-deployed anemometry for cyclones, vulnerability and fragility modelling, wind-borne debris trajectory modelling, post-event damage assessment, wind resistance of roofing systems, structural retrofitting for wind and water ingress, wind tunnel testing, behavioral aspects of community cyclone preparedness.

 

Q: What is your background or education and how did you get interested in disaster safety?

 

A: My educational experience is in structural engineering, emphasizing wind-related building failures. After completing doctoral research at University of Florida I began working with the Cyclone Testing Station (CTS) at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia. Similar to Florida, Queensland is the most at-risk state in Australia with respect to tropical cyclone events. Between the U.S. and Australia over the last decade I have been involved in damage assessments and/or deployed mobile weather stations for seven tropical cyclones and many non-synoptic events (e.g., tornado, thunderstorm). Although I work with the CTS, I am based in Charleston, SC and have current projects with FLASH, University of Florida (UF), Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).  Read more >

Help NOAA Build a Weather-Ready Nation

If there was one extreme weather preparedness action you want your loved ones to take, what would it be? For many, that one action is to know ahead of time where their safe place is located. On April 4, please join the National Weather Service and its over 7,300 Weather-Ready Nation Ambassadors and take a "selfie" and post with the hashtag  #SafePlaceSelfie .

Here are some helpful suggestions:

• Think about the hazards in your area that could require you to find a safe place or evacuation route.
• Get creative! Storm shelters and safe rooms are the best places to take refuge from tornadoes and strong winds, but if you don't have one you'll need to find the next best thing. Hint: maybe an interior bathroom? What would your safe place be during an earthquake? Check out the Great ShakeOut for a starting point. And think of other scenarios or hazards that may require other safe places.
• What other preparedness actions make your safe place even safer? Having a NOAA Weather Radio? Emergency Kit? Family Communications Plan?
• Encourage family, friends, and your social media network to post their #SafePlaceSelfie. Tag someone on your post and ask them, "Where is your safe place from extreme weather?" 

For more information visit www.weather.gov/wrn/safeplaceselfie. 

Commit a couple of hours, or the entire day, and watch as your actions help reduce your community's wildfire risk. Challenge your friends, family, faith-based group, or youth organization to develop a project and join others throughout the nation in making big changes. Your efforts will help raise wildfire awareness, promote collaboration, and bring neighbors together to work on projects that can help protect homes, neighborhoods, and entire communities from future wildfires or current post-fire impacts. Read More >