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  • News Story

Get an Inside Look at UL Solutions Windstorm Testing

President and CEO Jennifer Scanlon joins NBC News at a UL Solutions laboratory for an inside look at how safety science addresses hazards associated with severe weather such as hurricanes and tornadoes.

UL Solutions President and CEO Jennifer Scanlon joins NBC News at a UL Solutions laboratory for an inside look at how safety science addresses hazards associated with severe weather.

September 29, 2026

Key Points

  • A recent NBC News segment highlights how UL Solutions tests wind-rated doors against wind-borne debris associated with hurricanes and tornadoes.
  • Windstorm testing helps manufacturers demonstrate compliance with applicable building codes and standards.
  • In addition to doors, UL Solutions evaluates windows, shutters, roofing materials and other building products for severe weather conditions.

Severe weather poses threats not only to people but also to property. During hurricanes and tornadoes, wind-borne debris can strike homes and buildings at high speeds, causing damage to doors, windows and other parts of buildings. According to a study from Harvard University, U.S. homeowners spent an average of $23 billion annually from 2021 to 2023 repairing damage from disasters.

NBC News correspondent Shaquille Brewster recently visited a UL Solutions testing facility in Northbrook, Illinois, to get a firsthand look at safety tests designed to help manufacturers demonstrate product compliance with applicable building codes and standards. During the visit, Brewster spoke with UL Solutions President and CEO Jennifer Scanlon and several engineers and technicians in the laboratory.

In one test, a member of the UL Solutions testing team loads a two-by-four into a compressed-air cannon, which launches the lumber at a wind-rated door assembly, reaching speeds up to 100 mph during commercial-rated testing. The test simulates the impact that flying debris can have on doors during hurricanes and tornadoes.

The NBC segment highlights the importance of wind-rated doors for schools and libraries because those buildings often function as storm shelters during hurricanes and tornadoes.

In addition to debris impacts, severe weather events can cause sustained wind pressures and leakage. UL Solutions offers structural, static pressure and cyclic pressure tests that provide data about how an assembly might perform under a range of extreme weather conditions.

This work extends beyond doors. UL Solutions evaluates other building products and systems, including windows, shutters, louvers, panel walls and roofing materials that may ultimately be used in homes, hospitals and other types of buildings.

The three-minute segment showcasing UL Solutions is available on the NBC News YouTube page:

More information about UL Solutions’ testing for severe weather events is available on the Windstorm Testing, Certification and Validation Services page at UL.com.