disasters

  • How Much Do Skyscrapers Actually Move?

    How Much Do Skyscrapers Actually Move?

    The night Hurricane Alicia struck Houston in 1983, shattering high-rise windows downtown and stacking sailboats in the marina, there were two engineers waiting on the top floor of the Allied Bank Plaza. The 71-storey emerald glass tower — since renamed, and renamed again — had just opened that year. In August, its top floor was…


  • Vertical Tsunami Shelters Will Help People Get To Higher Ground, Fast

    Vertical Tsunami Shelters Will Help People Get To Higher Ground, Fast

    The threat of a tsunami is a very real thing for much of the Pacific coastline, yet many cities in the US haven’t taken specific infrastructural measures to ensure their residents are safe when they happen. A new building in Washington will have the first purpose-built tsunami shelter in the country, offering accessible safety in…