
Like all natural disasters, tornadoes can end up causing massive destruction to property and infrastructure. Typically, tornadoes cause the greatest damage to structures of light construction. FEMA offers several mitigation and rebuild measures to improve personal safety and reduce or eliminate the risk of future damages to structures and personal property:
Roof Design
Roof failures are a common cause of major damage to buildings and their contents from high winds. There are mitigation measures that can be taken to reduce potential roof damage.
These mitigation measures include:
- Designing Wind-resistant Roofs
- Reinforcing Gable Roof Ends
- Securing Sheathing Properly
- Installing Shingles Properly
Breach Points
Exterior doors and windows are the weakest parts of a structure’s outer shell. If they are broken or blown in, high winds can enter a structure and create internal pressures which act on the roof and walls, resulting in serious damage. Once the structure is breached, wind, debris, and rain can damage the interior of the structure or injure any person inside.
Breach point mitigation measures include:
- Reinforcing Garage Doors
- Securing Double-entry Doors
- Installing Impact-resistant Glass
Local Building Officials
Always check with local building official before beginning any repairs or rebuilding because:
- Building codes, permits, inspection requirements, and zoning ordinances may be involved.
- A floodplain ordinance will affect rebuilding when the structure has sustained substantial damage and is situated in a floodplain.
Building officials will reinforce the point that only licensed professionals are qualified to perform structural repair or structural mitigation work.