<p>In this episode, FLASH President and CEO Leslie Chapman Henderson discusses the importance of wind science and building resilience with Dr. Tanya Brown-Giammanco and Dr. Marc Levitan from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). They explore personal journeys into wind science, the evolution of tornado safety design, and the differences between tornadoes and hurricanes. The conversation highlights the vulnerabilities in home structures, particularly roofs and garage doors, and emphasizes the need for updated building codes and community involvement in safety measures. Learn things you may not know with these two engaging national experts as they dispel tornado myths and share practical steps for homeowners.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Discussion Topics</strong></p><ul><li>Personal Journeys into Wind Science (1:04)</li><li>Understanding Tornado Safety and Dual-Objective-Based Tornado Design Philosophy (3:53)</li><li>Differences Between Tornadoes and Hurricanes (8:50)</li><li>Assessing Building Performance After Wind Events (11:42)</li><li>Vulnerabilities in Home Structures in Regard to High Winds (16:08)</li><li>Surprising Findings in Wind Engineering (23:03)</li><li>Future Directions for Garage Door Safety (27:33)</li><li>Elevating Garage Door Performance through Rating (30:15)</li><li>Advancing Building Codes via Community Engagement (30:53)</li></ul><p><strong>Resources</strong></p><ul><li> ⁠<a href="https://flash.org/tornado-strong/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Tornado-Strong.org</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nist.gov/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">National Institute of Standards and Technology</a></li></ul><ol><li><a href="https://www.nist.gov/buildings-construction/understanding-building-codes" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Understanding Building Codes and Standards</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nist.gov/disaster-failure-studies" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Disaster and Failure Studies Program</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2024/07/tornadoes-are-deadly-these-new-building-codes-will-save-lives" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">New Tornado Resistant Building Codes</a></li><li><a href="https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=936075" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">FEMA/NIST Fact Sheet - Improving Windstorm and Tornado Resilience: Recommendations for One- and Two-Family Residential Structures⁠</a></li></ol><ul><li><a href="https://inspecttoprotect.org/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">New Strong Homes Scale - InspectToProtect.org</a></li><li><a href="https://www.weather.gov/oun/efscale" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">The Enhanced Fujita Scale </a> </li><li><a href="https://flash.org/hurricanestrong/wp-content/uploads/12/2025/05/5-9-25-Strengthen-Your-Garage-Door-Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Checklist - Strengthen Your Garage Door </a> </li><li><a href="https://flash.org/hurricanestrong/wp-content/uploads/12/2025/05/5-9-25-Strengthen-Your-Roof-Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Checklist - Strengthen Your Roof </a> </li><li><a href="https://flash.org/hurricanestrong/wp-content/uploads/12/2025/05/5-9-25-Strengthen-Your-Gutters-Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Checklist - Strengthen Your Gutters </a></li><li><a href="https://flash.org/hurricanestrong/wp-content/uploads/12/2025/05/5-9-25-Sealed-Roof-Deck-Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Checklist - Sealed Roof Decks</a> </li></ul><p><strong>Connect</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanya-brown-giammanco-a4849b85/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Dr. Tanya Brown-Giammanco</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliechapmanhenderson/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Leslie Chapman-Henderson</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-levitan-12693145/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Dr. Marc Levitan</a></li></ul>