In 2016, the Gulf of Mexico churned out one of the most active hurricane seasons on record. Devastation from powerful winds and life-threatening flooding left many homeless and distressed. We joined Carol Friedland, an Assistant Professor in the Bert S. Turner Department of Construction Management in the College of Engineering at LSU's Science Cafe in August 2017, where she shared with us strategies for protecting homes against natural disaster effects, how to use flood maps, and what you should know about building codes.