DFW Can Rebuild Safer, Stronger To Reduce Future Tornado Damage 

Release Date: April 26, 2012
Release Number: R6-12-080

» 2012 Region VI News Releases

DENTON, Texas — Dallas/Fort Worth area residents and business owners who are repairing or rebuilding in the wake of recent severe storms and tornadoes face many choices and opportunities as they put the pieces of their homes, businesses and lives back together.

Federal mitigation experts offer several suggestions for measures to take to potentially reduce the risk of losses in future disasters:

• Roofs – Roofs are extremely susceptible to wind damage. When the roof lifts off it may collapse back down on the house. In both new construction and retrofitting, people should build to ensure the connections between the roof and walls are strong enough to resist the uplift effect of high winds.
• Garage Doors – Severe wind can severely damage a weak garage door, creating wind pressure that lifts the garage roof.  If it’s hinged to the house, the garage roof can pull off part of the house or put pressure on the house roof, which then may lift off.  Retrofitting older garage doors helps increase a home’s storm resistance, while new reinforced garage doors help to protect your garage and its contents.
• Shutters and Doors – High winds and windborne debris can easily break unprotected windows and cause doors to fail.  The most reliable method of protecting windows and doors is installing permanent storm shutters. Alternatives include temporary plywood covers, mesh or screen systems and impact-resistant windows and doors.
• Foundations – Many homes are built on concrete pads to which they are only slightly connected. Severe winds pull the walls right out of the foundation. To resist high winds, structures must be firmly connected to foundations. Bolts set deep into concrete foundations and topped with a washer and nut should be used to secure the structure to the foundation.
• Personal Safety – A safe room provides protection. It is designed to withstand extreme winds, with steel-reinforced concrete or steel sheathing to make the walls and ceiling virtually puncture-proof.  It’s also a good idea to keep an emergency kit in the safe room.

For more information on building safer and stronger, visit go.usa.gov/yKL

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. 

Last Modified: Thursday, 26-Apr-2012 13:12:15