Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart | Official U.S. House headshot
Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart | Official U.S. House headshot
MIAMI, FL – Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart will present FIU’s Wall of Wind with a $4.05 million federal allocation to support windstorm research. The funds are part of a designation from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), facilitated through the support of Congressman Díaz-Balart and his dedication to the Windstorm Research Instrumentation and Testing Enhancement (WRITE) project.
In conjunction with this funding announcement, Congressman Díaz-Balart and FIU officials will host a Hurricane Preparedness press conference. This event aims to highlight the importance of readiness for the upcoming hurricane season and discuss the critical role of the Wall of Wind facility in enhancing community resilience.
The Wall of Wind is dedicated to researching extreme weather, testing future climate scenarios – particularly for Category 5 storms – through simulations. The large-scale hurricane simulator utilizes a 12-fan 8,400 horsepower system capable of generating 157 mph wind speeds with rain intrusion. This research analyzes the potential damage levels and devastation caused by extreme hurricane winds.
Researchers use results from Wall of Wind testing to explore solutions that will help mitigate the destruction caused by powerful windstorms. This research provides key insights for enhancing the resilience of critical infrastructure such as residential and commercial buildings.
The additional funding will allow researchers to expand capacity and continue work that could lead to strengthening building code standards for greater resilience to Category 5 storms for homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure.
Media assets are available here and will be updated after the event.
WHO:
Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26)
Kenneth A. Jessell, FIU president
Inés R. Triay, FIU dean, College of Engineering and Computing
Ioannis Zisis, FIU co-director, Wall of Wind
Robert Molleda, National Weather Service
WHEN:
Friday, May 31 at 11:30 a.m.
WHERE:
Wall of Wind
EC 2300
FIU College of Engineering & Computing campus
10555 W Flagler St, Miami, FL 33172
All interested credentialed media must RSVP to Andrea.Morales@mail.house.gov
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