>> at the equivalent 80 miles per hour category 1 stosh. -- storm. >> reporter: the house is batteredly category is. 1. >> the large waves and wind - that's what we are trying to capture. >> reporter: category 4 - pushing against the structure. >> we need to understand how buildings can be resilient to these conditions. >> reporter: time to crank it up to full speed, 150 miles per hour, category 5 hurricane. >> fire. >> reporter: i can feel it vibrating now. everything is shaking. >> that was something else. that was a real rush for me. studying a storm in a tank is not just an academic exercise for the researchers here. >> we have chosen to live here, to have our families and homes here in this place where we are just above sea level. it's a personal issue for us. >>> the reality on the ground there in miami is so drastic, but also it seems like a different reality than what they have in d.c. >> true, but what is interesting to me is the department of defense moved beyond the politics. this is their 2014 climate change adaptation roadmap, and they have accepted that climate change is