News & Media

WHDA in the News

FOX 32 News Chicago

Posted on April 27, 2015

FOX 32 News Meteorlogist, Tammie Souza focuses in on the hypothetical April 9th, 2015 Illinois tornado senerio as detailed in our online damage report of the April 9th, 2015 Illinios Tornado outbreak. The hypothetical path represents a tornado that would affect a densely populated north-west Chicago suburb 45 miles due east of Fairdale. The actual path lead the massive storm through Fairdale, IL leaving in its wake 150 homes either damaged or destroyed.

Interview with WeatherBrains

Posted on March 4, 2014


David Prevatt joins television personality and meteorologist James Spann and meteorologist Brian Peters on this week’s WeatherBrains to discuss wind damage, tornadoes, and hurricanes.
WeatherBrains is a weekly show on weather, produced Mondays at 9:30p ET/8:30P CT and streamed live via Youtube; click here to access the Interview with Dr. Prevatt.

UF Research Team Surveys Tornado Damage

Posted on October 17, 2013

“University of Florida researchers are evaluating the damage done after a powerful tornado ravaged Moore, Okla.
UF engineering professor David Prevatt and his team of civil engineering students traveled to the city a few days after the storm that killed almost 30 people and injured nearly 400 others…” Continue to article: UF Research Team Surveys Tornado Damage

NPR’s Science Friday

Posted on June 14, 2013


During an interview for NPR’s Science Friday, Dr. Prevatt explained that building wind-resilient communities would require better and innovative building materials and techniques, as well as political backing. When questioned on the cost of such changes to American infrastructure, Dr. Prevatt replied with a question of his own, speaking to American citizens he said, “Do we want to commit to, you know, providing FEMA with the $2 or $3 billion every three years to repair and resuscitate someone’s life, or do we want to build it better the first time?”

Dr. Prevatt’s Congressional Testimony on H.R. 1786

Posted on June 14, 2013


Dr. David Prevatt was invited to testify before the U.S House of Representatives’ Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research and Subcommittee on Technology, Federal Efforts to Reduce the Impacts of Windstorms. Dr. Prevatt requested that the House support H.R. 1786 Bill, authorize its funding, sustain support for the wind engineering and structural engineering communities, and support the research community to work with innovative private sector companies to build resilient sustainable 21st century houses.

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TV-20 Tornado Safety Inspections for Moore, Ok

Posted on June 14, 2013




Dr. Prevatt speaks on the importatance for tornado safe rooms in public buildings, citing the lack of safe rooms in public schools in the state of Oklahoma as an example of the safety risk.

TV20 news: UF Engineer Heads to Oklahoma to Assess Tornado Damage

Posted on June 14, 2013

Dr. David Prevatt and graduate student Austin Thompson were interviewed by TV20 news about their damage surveys after the May 20th Moore, OK tornado.

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WCJB-TV Local News: UF Tornado Study

Posted on June 14, 2013

Dr. David Prevatt was interview for the May 12th, 2011 WCJB-TV local news story to discuss the inadequate connections of many of the homes in the path of the tornado that hit Tuscaloosa, Alabama on April 27th, 2011.