(4.0j) Experience helps ships master dangerous ion storms.
If a ship is inside a dangerous storm, it can receive damage. If the crew is experienced, that damage is reduced.
Damage_received = Normal_damage * (1 - (Ship_level / NumExperienceLevels))
In a four-level setup, ships at level one receive only 75% of the normal damage, ships at level two receive only 50%, and ships that have reached the top-most level do not receive any damage at all.
See Ion Storm Effects formulas for details.
Ships receive experience for surviving an ion storm, see above under Gaining Experience.