Moore, Okla., tornado: "We can learn from this."

A year after a massive EF5 tornado killed 24 and injured nearly 400, the city of Moore, Okla., adopted more stringent building codes to protect homes from future storms. In March 2014, the city council adopted the 2009 International Building, Residential, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes and became the first city in the nation to require additional tornadic-specific construction regulations. Moore also was struck by an EF5 tornado in 1999 and an EF4 tornado in 2003. "We have seen from this tornado, progressive construction techniques that can survive strong winds," Mayor Glenn Lewis said. "We can learn from this devastating event to build stronger homes and neighborhoods across the United States — and it starts in Moore." Among the requirements in the new regulations are the use of:

hurricane clips or framing anchors to tie the house together more effectively; continuous wood structural panel sheathing on all exterior walls to strengthen the home, which must be attached with ring shank nails that provide considerably stronger fastening than smooth nails or staples; and garage doors that are rated to withstand winds up to 135 miles per hour.

Moore's steps to increase residential construction safety drew widespread praise from building safety organizations, including the Insurance Institute for Building and Home Safety. IBHS' FORTIFIED Home program establishes superior new construction and retrofit standards, including many of the additional requirements adopted by Moore, that have proven to strengthen homes during severe high wind weather events. "It's encouraging to see a local community take tornado risks seriously and be proactive in the effort to build stronger homes," said Dr. Tanya Brown, IBHS research engineer. And while the new regulations are expected to raise construction costs $1 to $2 per square foot, Oklahoma University civil engineering professor Chris Ramseyer said the investment is well worth it when you consider the risks. "This last tornado is over $2 billion in costs and with better homes, stronger buildings, that destructive force will be minimized and the cost will be minimized," Ramseyer said. "It's a very small expense for the homeowner. We're talking one or two cents per dollar on a home." Last month, Oklahoma hosted the 4th Annual National Tornado Summit that brought together more than 800 emergency managers, insurance industry representatives and government leaders from across the country to examine the best ways to lessen natural disasters before they strike and how to quickly and efficiently respond after they do occur. Although Oklahoma was largely spared major tornado damage in 2014, the devastating events of 2013 and local response to the disasters led to the state being a logical choice to host the summit. Structural engineer Tim Marshall echoed the sentiments of Moore officials and Ramseyer while serving as a guest speaker. "Anchor it down or it ain't around," Marshall told summit attendees. "Straps hold five to ten times stronger than conventional nailing."

Share this story: