![]() Figure 2. Every year, tornadoes and hurricanes cause injuries, deaths, and millions of dollars worth of property damage. For these reasons, wind pressures and debris impacts must be considered for spaces designated as safe rooms or tornado refuge areas. Homes that fail under the effects of extreme winds often appear to have exploded (Figure 2). Wind forces pressurizing the inside of the home, combined with suction forces acting on the outside of the home, often result in catastrophic building failure. When wind enters the home through a damaged window, door, or roof section, that wind pushes on the walls and roof from the inside. Winds of this magnitude cause outward pressure or “suction” on walls, roofs, doors, and windows. Although fewer than 5% of tornados have been classified as EF3 or greater, these extreme wind events have accounted for 86% of all tornado fatalities. These values represent wind speeds ranging from 65 mph to well over 200 mph. The severity of a tornado is categorized by the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale) and ranges in values from EF0 to EF5. Understanding Tornado and Windstorm HazardsĪ tornado is a violently rotating column of air with wind speeds that can be significantly higher than the design wind speeds used in modern building codes (Figure 1).
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