McComb and Kruse say safety is all about decision making. Hurricane forecasters don't expect to improve their technology any time soon. So the key to reducing economic losses is reducing the numbers of people who evacuate an area. Take Corpus Christi for example. There are only a few ways out.
Shelters are more cost-effective.
If we can reduce the number of people evacuating by 40 to 50 percent, that could produce a huge payoff in terms of risk to people on the roads and business disruption. Whether it's discovering how tornadoes form or reducing the economic impact of a storm, the payoff for Kruse, McComb, Shubov and Gilliam will come when the numbers used to tell the tale of storms add up to more lives saved and fewer buildings damaged.