FIU Wall of Wind Experimental Facility

NOAA updated the forecast for this hurricane season and maintains its prediction for below-normal tropical activity: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-maintains-prediction-for-below-normal-atlantic-hurricane-season
But that does not mean we should lower our preparedness. There will still be tropical systems in the next few months, just not as many. While the hurricane season is quiet, now is the time to finalize our hurricane plan for our family, home, and business.
Include a plan for family members with special needs and for evacuation if you live in an evacuation zone. Check that you have all your hurricane supplies. Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

RESEARCH to RESILIENCE:
The NSF-NHERI Wall of Wind at FIU in Miami conducted research related to downbursts, which can be extreme and damaging wind events.
Key flow features were examined, such as flow structure, wind speed evolution, vertical profiles, wind components, flow angles, static pressure, and turbulence spectra.
The research was recently published in the Journal of Probabilistic Engineering Mechanics: “𝗣𝗜𝗩-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗯𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘁-𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗷𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲-𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀,” co-authored by Drs. Amal Elawady, Massimiliano Burlando, Mohamed Eissa, and Maria Pia Repetto.
Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0266892026000676
Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

Now Hiring: Wall of Wind Site Operations Manager 🌪️

Join the team behind one of the nation's premier natural hazards research facilities.

The FIU Wall of Wind is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) Experimental Facility where researchers, industry partners, and government agencies work together to advance solutions that strengthen homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure against extreme wind events.

As the Wall of Wind Site Operations Manager, you'll play a key leadership role in overseeing day-to-day research operations, managing client and stakeholder relationships, coordinating testing with researchers from across the country, supporting NSF-funded projects, and helping shape the future of resilience research.

We're looking for a collaborative leader with strong project management, communication, and organizational skills who thrives in a fast-paced research environment and is passionate about supporting groundbreaking science with real-world impact.

Minimum Qualifications:
✔ Bachelor's degree + 6 years of related experience, or Master's degree + 4 years of related experience.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Engineering and/or laboratory experience
• Project management expertise
• Exceptional leadership and communication skills
• Experience working in higher education research environments

Help advance research that protects communities from future disasters.

🔗 Apply today: https://lnkd.in/gccdexWB

Full position description, requirements, and information listed on the Careers website.
Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

Applications are still open for companies to test products or technologies designed to reduce the impacts of hurricanes and other extreme weather events at the NSF-NHERI Wall of Wind (WOW) at Florida International University (FIU).

The Risk & Resilience Tech Hub (RRTH) Infrastructure Innovation Center at FIU, in partnership with the WOW, is accepting Phase 1 applications here: https://fiu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9XEgKkBCZuYnwj4
Phase 1 applications are due August 1, 2026.

The purpose of this initial application is to help us better understand your company, technology, and proposed testing objectives. Based on the information provided, selected companies will be invited to submit a Phase 2 application for sponsored testing and validation.

If you have any questions, please contact:
Yogeswaran Umasankar: [email protected]
Ioannis Zisis: [email protected]

Risk & Resilience Tech Hub (RRTH): https://startup.fiu.edu/rrth/
NSF-NHERI Wall of Wind: https://fiu.designsafe-ci.org/
NHERI DesignSafe: https://www.designsafe-ci.org/
Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

The NSF-NHERI Wall of Wind at FIU, in collaboration with the NSF-NHERI Lehigh Experimental Facility, conducted research related to the effects of strong winds on tall buildings.
The research was recently published in Engineering Structures: “Real-time multi-directional aeroelastic hybrid simulation for tall building response under wind loading”.
The paper is co-authored by Malik Faisal Nissar, Haitham A. Ibrahim, PhD, PE, LIANG CAO, James M. Ricles, Amal Elawady, and Arindam Gan Chowdhury.
Read the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/g4X4gasW
Watch the video here: https://lnkd.in/e3yhcmTV
Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

Research to Resilience
NSF-NHERI Wall of Wind research, authored by Dr. Manuel Matus and Dr. Ioannis Zisis, has been selected as an Editor’s Choice in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Journal of Structural Engineering.
This recognition is especially meaningful, as the Editor’s Choice highlights a paper identified by the Chief Editor as having strong relevance and impact within the field.
This research focuses on how modern building shapes interact with extreme winds. This research shows that more intricate shapes can experience wind effects that differ significantly from what existing guidelines assume. In some cases, the forces observed were higher than current design recommendations, highlighting the need to continue improving how we account for wind in engineering practice.
The broader goal of this work is to contribute to safer and more resilient buildings by encouraging the development of design approaches that better reflect the realities of modern construction.
Read the paper here: https://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/JSENDH.STENG-14906
Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

We celebrate the accomplishments of our NSF-NHERI Wall of Wind students at FIU who are the next generation to make communities more resilient to extreme natural hazards.

Congratulations to Omar Metwally, Ph.D. who successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation, titled: “Aerodynamic Investigations of High-Rise Buildings in Transient Downburst-Like Outflows”
Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

We thank the FIU College of Engineering & Computing (CEC) for sharing this video with EEI. A delegation from CEC represented FIU at the 2026 American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.

This video was featured during the conference and showcased to engineering and computing educators, researchers, academic leaders, and industry partners from across the country.

The video highlights the innovation, impact, and excellence that define CEC, including the NSF-NHERI Wall of Wind and the development of the future NSF-NICHE/ExtremeS research facility. It elevates FIU’s and CEC’s reputation on a national stage and reinforces us as a leader in engineering and computing education, research, and workforce development: https://youtu.be/M4-1C4__8ec?si=iWg4SF-OoTK-Y39E
FIU College of Engineering and Computing Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

2026 American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference We thank the FIU College of Engineering & Computing (CEC) for shari...

Is your company developing infrastructure products or technologies designed to reduce the impacts of hurricanes and other extreme weather events?

Applications are now open to test those products and technologies at the NSF-NHERI Wall of Wind (WOW) at Florida International University (FIU).

The Risk & Resilience Tech Hub (RRTH) Infrastructure Innovation Center at FIU, in partnership with the WOW, is now accepting Phase 1 applications from companies interested in testing and validating products and technologies designed to reduce the impacts of hurricanes and other extreme weather events.

The purpose of this initial application is to help us better understand your company, technology, and proposed testing objectives. Based on the information provided, selected companies will be invited to submit a Phase 2 application for sponsored testing and validation.

Phase 1 applications are due August 1, 2026.
Application link:
https://fiu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9XEgKkBCZuYnwj4

We encourage you to share this opportunity with other companies that may benefit from testing and validation through the WOW.

If you have any questions, please contact:
Yogeswaran Umasankar: [email protected]
Ioannis Zisis: [email protected]

The WOW is one of the world’s leading hurricane simulation facilities, providing companies with the opportunity to evaluate product performance under realistic extreme weather conditions.
The FIU Wall of Wind, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, is part of the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure, also known as the NHERI network.
Risk & Resilience Tech Hub (RRTH): https://startup.fiu.edu/rrth/
NSF-NHERI Wall of Wind: https://fiu.designsafe-ci.org/
NHERI DesignSafe: https://www.designsafe-ci.org/ #
Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

Research to Resiliance:
NSF-NHERI Wall of Wind researchers at FIU found that some of the most common trees in Florida can significantly shield homes from extreme wind, decreasing suction forces applied to critical regions of the roof by as much as 50%.

The research grew out of questions asked by insurance and construction partners working with FIU’s Wind Hazard and Infrastructure Performance Center (WHIP-C). They wanted to understand how trees influence damage risk to homes during extreme wind events.

Funded by NSF, WHIP-C is a partnership among FIU, Texas Tech University, and Florida Institute of Technology and a collaboration with insurance and construction industry partners focused on improving infrastructure resilience to extreme wind.
https://news.fiu.edu/2026/fiu-researchers-find-trees-can-shield-homes-from-storms
National Science Foundation (NSF) Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

Researchers find trees can shield homes from storms A study at the Wall of Wind showed that trees around a low-rise building can reduce the wind force on segments by as much as 50%.