Tornado Proof Housing?

For residents in the United States tornado belt, bad weather is a way of life. Each year, people lose their homes—and, in some cases, their lives. By designing and building houses that stand up to tornados, manufacturing professionals can meet a national demand and build a positive reputation.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the area of the United States that is most affected by tornadoes includes the eastern part of South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, the northern part of Texas, Oklahoma, and the eastern part of Colorado. All of the affected areas have approximately thirteen minutes of warning, which doesn’t leave time for anything but personal safety measures. As a result, homes are frequently damaged or destroyed.

According to a recent story in the Wichita Eagle, the Enhanced Fujita scale, which rates the strength of tornados, may soon undergo changes. With the proposed changes, the scale may lead people to believe that tornados are less powerful than they actually are, leading to additional damage. For manufacturing professionals, tornado-proof housing has the opportunity to help residents keep themselves and their homes safe from advancing storms.

Multiple firms are at work designing and building houses that can stand up to high winds and tornados. One of the most popular designs is a house that is built on a hydraulic arm. When the wind picks up or a tornado warning is issued, the arm lowers the house into the ground, where it is safe from wind and flying debris. The house features escape hatches, which enable residents to exit if the top of the house is covered after a tornado. 10 Design, a Hong Kong-based architecture firm, pioneered the retracting house design, and it plans to make a prototype in 2014.

Another tornado-proof design is made of concrete with a steel door. Such a structure is able to stand up to high winds and projectiles but presents an obvious lack of aesthetic appeal. Windows are possible on a concrete house, but they must be built with anchored frames and glass that resists breaking on impact.

For manufacturers, the main limiting factor in tornado-proof housing is cost. Structures like the 10 Design retracting house are expensive to manufacture, which may limit the customer base. The first prototypes are expected to cost up to $500,000, which is out of the price range of many people who are affected by tornados. Many professionals believe that as the product becomes more viable, unit cost will decrease.

As tornados continue to wreak havoc on the United States, tornado-proof housing is an increasingly important endeavor for manufacturing firms. For companies that are willing to invest the time and capital into the design and prototype process, durable structures may end up being a valuable part of business operations.

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)