Hurricane Fortress
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Relative humidity, or RH, is a measure of the water in the air. At one hundred percent humidity the air is completely saturated and fog forms. But, at a lower RH this moisture is invisible.

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Ever wonder what it would take to keep you safe during a category 5 hurricane? Concrete's probably a good idea. Maybe some steel reinforcement. Don't forget to add some height so you're not standing in the water.

Hi I'm Bryan Yeaton and you're listening to the weather notebook.

The people at the National Hurricane Center thought about all these things and more back in 1990, when they started planning their new headquarters. Up to forty people work around the clock during the hurricane season. When a big one approaches, they're joined by dozens of reporters and camera crews. Keeping everyone safe is top priority, but Hurricane Andrew gave them a run for their money in 1992.

Andrew's eye passed just south of the old headquarters, and the winds knocked a radar dish off the top of the building, putting the center out of commission. The new Hurricane Center opened six years ago a few miles southwest of downtown Miami, and it's ready to take on the worst any storm can dish out.

The walls are made of a concrete shell that is ten inches thick, and we're not talking about hollow cinder blocks either, but pure, solid concrete. Steel rods run through the walls and reinforce the concrete. The windows are an inch thick, and storm panels and shutters make them even sturdier. The whole building itself sits five feet above the surrounding flood plain. Even though the center hasn't seen a severe hurricane since it opened it has received a watery test or two. Last fall, when Miami was hit with more than a foot of rain, the parking lot in front of the center turned into a pool of water, but the building and it's dedicated staff stayed high and dry even if their cars weren't.

Special thanks go today to correspondent Bob Henson. The Weather Notebook is a production of the Mount Washington Observatory. It's funded by Subaru of America and The National Science Foundation.