What’s it like to be in a powerful hurricane? Maryland wind tunnel gives an intense simulation.

By Steven Sosna

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WJZ) — We’re not even a third of the way into hurricane season and we’ve already made history with the earliest Category 5 storm in the Atlantic on record.

The projections for the rest of the season are alarming.

First Alert Meteorologist Steve Sosna shows there is something extremely powerful at the University of Maryland in College Park.

Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel

The Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel helps understand the crushing force of hurricane winds.

“It was constructed by a gift from Glenn L. Martin, of what the time was Barton Aircraft Company, who built tens of thousands of airplanes in Baltimore for World War II, said Dr. Jewel Barlow, who has been the director of this wind tunnel since 1977.

The wind tunnel, which has been fully operational since 1948, with many of its original parts, was constructed to help better design airplanes. It’s also used to study the aerodynamics of sailboats to the structural integrity of buildings.

However, the wind tunnel gained another purpose in the summer of 1988 by getting a feel of the dangers that come with powerful hurricanes.

In 1988, Hurricane Gilbert, a Category 5, one of the most destructive forces on Earth, was churning in the Gulf of Mexico toward Texas. Without surprise, Gilbert” gained a lot of attention, but so did the wind tunnel in College Park.

People wanted to understand the true power of hurricane-force winds.

The Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel was there to meet the moment.

Experiencing the powerful wind tunnel

CBS was the first network to experience the wind tunnel.

“CBS sent David Wingate, he was their national correspondent for the Pentagon, they called him up and sent him here, Barlow said. “But he was the first guy who did this.”

To better understand the fury of a Category 3, Sosna followed in the steps of the former CBS news colleague.

Most people who try the wind tunnel opt out of Category 3 strength.

So who are the ones that ask for it?

“Most of the meteorologists, almost all,” Barlow responded.

At the Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel, thumbs up means to increase the winds. Thumbs down means, it’s too much and you’re out.

“Success, sort of,” Sosna said. “I lasted in the Category 3 winds for about three seconds before giving a hard thumbs down.”

“I never in my life thought that it would be that intense, and that was just Category 3,” Sosna added. “Remember, these storms go up to Category 5. I couldn’t speak, my mouth is dry, I’m winded. Imagine going through hours of that.”

Be prepared

Colin Vissering, a PhD student specializing in coastal resiliency at the University of Maryland, says the takeaway from the wind tunnel is quite simple.

All of us are vulnerable, but we can all take these steps:

“Be aware of your evacuation zone, listen to your local government when there is messages, have an emergency kit, assume you’re going to be out of power or water for weeks,” Vissering said. “I mean look at Texas now right, it was a relatively minor storm, they’re out for days and days and days, hundreds of thousands of people.”

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