1. FANS

An array of 105 individually controlled 5.5-foot fans blow 24 million cubic feet of air per minute at speeds of up to 140 miles per hour—the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane.

Photo: Ian Allen

2. HANGAR DOORS

These must stay open during tests so the building doesn't pressurize and explode. "The headlines would be bad if the safety research center destroyed itself," Cope says.

Photo: Ian Allen

3. FLAMES

Smoldering mulch embers waft up from a trench and are blown toward the dummy home. A mobile cage full of natural gas burners will also blow radiant heat, simulating a neighboring fire.

Photo: Ian Allen

4. CONTROL BOOTH

Up to 80 techs watch the destruction through impact-rated windows, adjusting the wind gusts, rain ferocity, and heat to match documented weather patterns.

Photo: Ian Allen

5. SPRINKLERS

These rainmakers can release as much as 8 inches of water an hour in droplets of various sizes. The research center also has a hail maker that freezes pellets before delivering them at terminal velocity.

Photo: Ian Allen

6. TURNTABLE

Want to test how each side of the fake domicile responds to catastrophic damage? No problem. Dollies can carry dwellings to a 55-foot-diameter rotating platform.

Photo: Ian Allen

7. INNOCENT VICTIM

One of the model homes built for destruction. The facility is so huge that houses like this can be carted in and out easily.

Photo: Ian Allen

8. WATER TANK

You don't want to run out of rain in the middle of a simulation of a Cat 5 hurricane. This water tank holds all of the liquid you need for a terrential downpour.

Photo: Ian Allen

9. POWER SUPPLY

This is the power supply that leads to the fan array on the exterior of the Institute for Business & Home Safety's new facility.

Photo: Ian Allen

10. FAN ARRAY

You can't fake gale force winds with a desk fan. This massive wall of wind generation is visible on the exterior of the IBHS facility.

Photo: Ian Allen

A fly-through of the Institute for Business & Home Safety’s six-story, half-acre lab.