Watching through the windows of your home as a hurricane wreaks destructive havoc outside is quite fun - when the destruction is not actually real.

That is the experience awaiting visitors to Disney's Storm Struck exhibit, which is co-sponsored by Bermuda reinsurer RenaissanceRe.

Thousands of people have endured the virtual storm since Storm Struck opened last summer, with the aim of raising public awareness about the dangers of severe weather and what can be done to mitigate the risks.

With the Risk and Insurance Management Society Conference being staged just up the road at the Orange County Convention Center, some of the delegates ventured to Storm Struck to join the massed ranks of tourists.

Those waiting in the queue outside Storm Struck see a video showing RenRe's 'Wall of Wind' at work. The storm simulation machine, fitted with six engines, each driving counter-rotating sets of 80-inch propellers, can generate windspeeds equivalent to a category three hurricane.

The video shows the machine subjecting a full-scale component of a residential building being subjected to hurricane conditions. The Wall of Wind is based at Florida International University in Miami and is also backed by the International Hurricane Center.

Storm Struck visitors are handed 3D glasses as they enter a small movie theatre. The impression is that you are sitting inside watching the storm through the window. As the wind gains strength, sparks fly from electric wires, the garden furniture takes off and airborne debris hurtles around.

The three-dimensional pictures and the noising of the howling wind create a sense of reality, which is further enhanced by the blasts of air and light spray that occasionally hit viewers in the face.

After the mayhem and destruction, everyone gets a chance to vote on steps to best ensure survival of homes and outbuildings in a re-run of the storm.

The consensus on each step, whether it be what shape of roof to fit or whether to leave windows slightly open or completely shut, is fed into the computer, implemented and then visitors get a chance to see how those choices impact what happens. The show takes about 12 minutes.

Outside, the theatre, interactive displays and devices allow guests to understand the weather perils that affect their own areas. And there is more advice on storm mitigation, as well as a game to keep young children entertained, involving what things you need in your emergency storm kit.

While Storm Struck is based in a state used to severe storms, most of its visitors are from outside Florida.

Hence those who have never witnessed a hurricane get an opportunity to appreciate the forces involved.

Seeing homes blown apart in such a way can only encourage people who might be at risk from any natural catastrophe of taking whatever steps they can to protect their properties and families.

Other backers of the exhibit are the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH), construction company Simpson Strong-Tie and US insurer State Farm.