A paradise that wacky inflatable arm-waving man could only dream about exists at University of Maryland. The Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel (GLMWT) can create wind speeds of up to 250 mph with a fan that is nineteen feet in diameter.

Involved in aerodynamic research and development since 1949, the tunnel was constructed as part of a gift to the university in the late 1940s. Since its creation, the GLMWT has completed more than 2,200 tests and collected data on everything from vehicles, airplanes and other aerodynamic designs.

When one thinks of wind, it’s often in reference tohurricanes or a source of alternative energy.

“Our research effort is almost totally devoted to design of vehicles, airplanes, helicopters, boats, sailing, boats, cars, trucks, anything that moves in air or water,” said Jewel Barlow, Director of the tunnel since 1977. “We have the wind tunnel, which can demonstrate what it’s like to be in a hurricane-force wind. But a study of hurricanes is not actually this laboratory’s focus.”

While the study of hurricanes isn’t the lab’s focus, the data has proven to be useful. In 2021, Hurricane Ida spawned a tornado that hit Annapolis with 125-mph winds. Colin Vissering, a doctoral student studying in the Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Science Program, says the wind experiments help him think about building resilience. Pre-1960s buildings are more at risk for damage in a high-wind hurricane, since they were not built up to more modern building codes.

“That research then translates to building codes, which local communities adapt and then builders and developers have to follow these requirements. It hardens the built environment against hurricane wind,” he stated. “I think Maryland is a good, solid state. They’ve got good building codes, good emergency management, good sort of county oversight of those type of things,” Vissering said.

If he could wave a magic wand, he said, it would be to make the best use of available federal and state funding to retrofit the oldest and most vulnerable buildings.

“Typically, a hurricane won’t kill you unless you are in a place where your building collapses. Always be aware of where the shelter is and where you need to go. You can rebuild your house, but you can’t rebuild your family,” he said.

The Baltimore Banner was recently granted rare access to the inside the wind tunnel. And, in true Baltimore Banner participatory form, Krishna Sharma and I couldn’t leave without putting the tunnel to use. We decided to see how much intense wind we could handle. Humans can’t stand in wind speeds of 65 mph — they’d have to hold onto something or crouch down and hide. For this experiment we were harnessed into the tunnel with nylon straps and carabiners, leaning back into the harness to create tension on the straps.

We were to give a periodic thumbs-up to signify we were OK and a thumbs-down if we had reached our limit.

My limit? I was in a wind tunnel. There was no limit! What could happen?

The winds started at 30 mph, enough to make my hair blow back. As the wind speed increased, so did the tears in my eyes and the realization that I had greatly underestimated its power.

As the speed radar clock climbed to 45 mph, 55 mph, and 75 mph, I felt my face being pulled from my skull. During Krishna’s session, his eyes teared up and his cheeks flapped. I learned I have more loose skin than I thought.

Somewhere between 85 mph and 91 mph, I felt the wind forcing its way into my goggles and behind my eyeballs and decided it was time to signal. Krishna lasted a bit longer, giving the signal at around 115 mph — only 10 mph less than the winds produced by Hurricane Ida when it blew through the area.

“That’s unreal. That’s unreal. It feels like your skin is going to fly off. It’s insane. Using all your muscles to stand still — it’s crazy,” Krishna said immediately after the experience.