"Abstract Although our engineering training treats all physics as deterministic@ we also know that random variation is a normal part of nature. Strength of parts and loads on parts vary. Unusually low strengths and unusually high loads do occur@ for example a flood or a hurricane in the case of a building or a bridge@ or a slug of liquid refrigerant in the case of a compressor. Accidents can occur when extreme events happen. Failure of a part occurs when the load on the part is greater than the strength. Extreme events happen much more frequently than predicted by theories based on the normal distribution. Statisticians describe extreme value distributions as ""heavy tailed"" as a result. In this paper@ models of extreme values are discussed for both load and strength. Modeling examples are given for loads@ strength of materials@ applications to predicting time to failure and maintenance intervals. Extreme values are a part of our normal engineering lives."