It’s been 3 years since the May 22, 2011 EF-5 tornado left a 7-mile long gash in the city of Joplin, over 5000 buildings destroyed, and 158 people dead. Two years after the storm, the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE published the Joplin, Missouri, Tornado of May 22, 2011: Structural Damage Survey and Case for Tornado-Resilient Building Codes.
Related: Post-Tornado Survey, Joplin, MO
This 50 page report followed a joint engineering reconnaissance trip to Joplin, Mo May 29, 2011. The primary objectives were to better understand the predominant structural failure mechanisms associated with tornadic loads and suggest improvements to influence future building practices.
Similar damage assessments have helped to inspire local governments to adopt new building codes, as was the case with Moore, Oklahoma. Just last month, the Moore City Council adopted new codes that would institute higher wind load standards for buildings.
