Can this Miami house withstand a wall of wind? Here’s what to know

Florida International University researchers blasted a manufactured home with hurricane-force winds this month to see how much punishment it could take. The findings could shape future building codes designed to save lives and homes.

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Here are key takeaways:

• FIU’s “Wall of Wind” — an array of giant fans — tested a manufactured home in collaboration with the University of Kansas and the University of Alabama to determine whether building codes need updating for hurricanes and tornadoes.
• Under the South Florida standard built to withstand 110 mph, winds of 130 mph and then 150 mph caused most of the home’s single-stack bricks and front and back windows to cave in and blow out.
• For the Kansas test, researchers cut about 40% of the home’s ground anchors, then hit it with 110 mph and 130 mph winds until it broke loose and rolled over twice.
• Even without flipping, a broken window means rain and debris would destroy the interior, said co-principal investigator Arindam Gan Chowdhury: “We will have a total loss of the structure and a family is uprooted.”
• As of 2024, the U.S. had roughly 7.9 million manufactured homes, including 824,000 in Florida — where residents are typically required to evacuate ahead of even the lowest category hurricane.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.

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