Tornado and hurricane protection

[DPA]

Whenever I see the devastating pictures of houses leveled by hurricanes and tornadoes passing over, it's always wooden materials or aluminum shed plates lying around.

I understand that these kind of houses are easy to rebuild and are not expensive.
However, why is it never brick houses? How would a brick house stand against these kinds of powers?

[Stop Pretending]

Whenever I see the devastating pictures of houses leveled by hurricanes and tornadoes passing over, it's always wooden materials or aluminum shed plates lying around.

I understand that these kind of houses are easy to rebuild and are not expensive.
However, why is it never brick houses? How would a brick house stand against these kinds of powers?

Also hard to tell what a house is made of when it's in ruble.

[Independent voter]

In tornado country many people have tornado shelters in their back yards. It's like a bomb shelter, a hole in the ground covered at the top by a heavy door.

Weird that people have to live that way.

I remember walking into a kindergarten once and the teacher was teaching the class about what to do in a tornado. "What do we do when we hear the tornado alarm, children?" "We hide under our chairs." "Can anyone tell me why?" "So when the windows explode, the glass won't cut us."

[derpkitteh]

what i'd like to know, is why homes in tornado alley and other places prone to dangerously high winds, aren't build to endure such things at a vastly reduced cost.

also, why tornados seem to try to seek out life to destroy.

[DPA]

Also hard to tell what a house is made of when it's in ruble.

Your video doesn't show fortified walls, which is common masonry where I live (Scandinavia).
Granted, we don't build to protect against tornadoes, because we only get the very tiny (and rare) waterspouts that MIGHT move in over land.
Our fortified masonry is mainly built because it withstands the cold/warmth clima better, and probably because it's just been common use since, forever.


This video from your own links suggestions shows the difference.

But wouldn't it be cheaper to repair a brick wall house rather than rebuilding an entire wooden structured house?

[Deleted]

What I don't understand is when people live in these houses, built from twigs and paper, and lose their entire lives when a tornado blows their houses down, they choose to rebuild their twig and paper house on the same spot, only to prepare to lose everything again the next year, or the year after that.

People like that really have no business crying about it. I mean if you know you're in the path of tornadoes, and you willfully choose to build a house there, a house that can't withstand tornadoes in any way or form, then when it gets flattened, it's all your fault, not the tornadoes. You can't blame a pretty much predictable force of nature.

[Independent voter]

Your video doesn't show fortified walls, which is common masonry where I live (Scandinavia).
Granted, we don't build to protect against tornadoes, because we only get the very tiny (and rare) waterspouts that MIGHT move in over land.
Our fortified masonry is mainly built because it withstands the cold/warmth clima better, and probably because it's just been common use since, forever.


This video from your own links suggestions shows the difference.

But wouldn't it be cheaper to repair a brick wall house rather than rebuilding an entire wooden structured house?

I'm sure if insurance companies agreed, they'd offer big reductions for brick homes. The reality is that it's a very small chance your home will get hit by a tornado during your lifetime. It's not worth it.

[Puri]

Also hard to tell what a house is made of when it's in ruble.

This video is funny, but when the OP is talking about brick walls he probably means brick walls as they are used to build european houses:



I really cannot imagine how this could be destroyed by a wind.
But I agree, they are much more expensive to build, and if it was worth it they probably would have done it by now or be forced by insurances.
And people in the US also enjoy their freedom, as they are moving 9.4 times during their life in average, while in the EU people are moving 4.1 times, which obviously lessens the dedication to building a single house.

[Budong]

Most of these houses are brick, you're only seeing wood because the frame's of these houses are made of wood, as are most houses. Completely wooden houses are more predominant in the east as they are older. Simple fact is, if a tornado is strong enough, there is nothing that can stand up to it. 300 mph winds will destroy everything but the foundation.

And no one lives in houses made of twigs and paper unless they're one of the 3 little pigs.....

[Independent voter]

Most of these houses are brick, you're only seeing wood because the frame's of these houses are made of wood, as are most houses. Completely wooden houses are more predominant in the east as they are older. Simple fact is, if a tornado is strong enough, there is nothing that can stand up to it. 300 mph winds will destroy everything but the foundation.

And no one lives in houses made of twigs and paper unless they're one of the 3 little pigs.....

Also, the roofs get torn off no matter what the house is made of.

[Budong]

what i'd like to know, is why homes in tornado alley and other places prone to dangerously high winds, aren't build to endure such things at a vastly reduced cost.

also, why tornados seem to try to seek out life to destroy.

Who would provide this reduced cost? The government? Home builders aren't going to provide huge cost reductions to people who build stronger homes. They build homes to make profit. Only through some kind of government tax credit would you be able to do this.

Tornadoes don't seek out life. They follow whatever chaotically random path nature decides. There are simply more people spread out for tornadoes to hit. As cities grow so does their chance of being hit.

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Also, the roofs get torn off no matter what the house is made of.

Which is what causes most houses to be destroyed. Once the roof comes off the entire structure becomes much more vulnerable.

[Stop Pretending]

It's also kind of asking " why aren't cities on the coasts built better against tsunamis ", in the grand scheme of things, shit will still get fucked up.

[rinleezwins]

I will never understand why americans use wood and sheets of metal and keep rebuilding the houses instead of doing it properly once and use bricks. It's not really that expensive and once it survives one hurricane it already pays off, lol.

[Yunru]

Also, the roofs get torn off no matter what the house is made of.

Unless...



No way a tornado can blow this off.

[Reeve]

This video is funny, but when the OP is talking about brick walls he probably means brick walls as they are used to build european houses:



I really cannot imagine how this could be destroyed by a wind.
But I agree, they are much more expensive to build, and if it was worth it they probably would have done it by now or be forced by insurances.
And people in the US also enjoy their freedom, as they are moving 9.4 times during their life in average, while in the EU people are moving 4.1 times, which obviously lessens the dedication to building a single house.

It's not destroyed by wind. It's destroyed by the automobile the wind picks up and throws into the wall. Or the cow, or the splinter of wood, or bits and pieces of the house next to yours.

[DPA]

Unless...



No way a tornado can blow this off.

If the windows are blown out, there will be enough force to literally pop the roof off, no matter the material it's built of.

[Stormdash]

Based on the two videos shown, can we declare cinder block (concrete masonry unit) the winner? I know there's a lot of it used for home construction in Florida.

[Notchris]

The Prius whipped at your house by a 275+ mph F5 is going to shit all over your re-enforced wall.

Seriously the bigger ones, they throw vehicles around, including semi's and buses, like a 2 year old throwing his Hot Wheels.

Our tornadoes get MUCH worse then you guys are used to seeing.

There are some domed buildings, that are built partially submerged into the ground out of re-enforced concrete that supposedly handle tornadoes pretty well. Of course a Prius flung like a cruise missile still fucks their shit up.

The wind sucks, but it's just really all the bizarre shit that they pick up and chuck everywhere that really causes the more insane damage.

As for why people don't leave the area? That's our main farm land. We have to have people living there.

[apepi]

I have been through two hurricanes, no matter what your house is built with or its roof, it will still not be impervious to water. I mean you can build your house on stilts, but then it will be much more expensive to build your house to be wind protective.

Insurance here is outragous, and some people can't even get flood insurance.

[Donald Hellscream]

Well it is not really the wind but rather the assorted bits of debris that the winds hurl about that causes critical damage to buildings.

Thankfully I live in Denmark where the worst that can happen is scaffolding being blown down and rooftop tiles getting torn off when the wind is being particularly playful.

Oh and trampolines, greenhouses and other small garden objects.