Tornado in Oklahoma City

[Lallapalalable]

A massive tornado made its way through an Oklahoma City suburb yesterday, leaving 51 dead. The death-toll is expected to rise, and it's been said this could be one of the deadliest in US history. A lot of people still unaccounted for, but hopefully there was enough warning and they're buried in a storm shelter yet.

Video

 

[Nemesiah]

How common are tornadoes in Oklahoma?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/20/185613204/a-brief-history-of-oklahoma-tornadoes

I ask this because the obvious question comes to mind, Why do people keep building in the same dangerous areas?

Another option would be to build with the dissaster in mind, maybe in a tornado prone place architecture should be different (subterranian maybe) just as in a flood prone place maybe elevated houses would be more cost efficient

I understand not wanting to leave a job or friends and family, but at some point humans should come to grips with the fact that we can't resist some of nature's forces (floodings, earthquakes, tornadoes, violent volcanoes, etc...)

Now, in this (I believe) it is not the general population that is in the wrong, I believe city officials should ave an obligation to declare different areas "unfit for habitation" and relocate said households to somewere safe.

In mexico it happens a lot with flooding, every year a flood comes, destroys a bunch of people's houses, then the government declares it an emrgency area, sends relief money, rebuilds the same half assed shacks so people can put their mattress and tv somewere and come the next year, its the same thing all over again... it seems unproductive to me.

 

[Visaki]

As I understand it the "dangerous areas" for tornados are several whole states, so not building there is not really an option.

At least in areas where there are no tall buildings making a pretty much tornado proof subterran cellar shouldn't be that difficult. A steel enforced concrete box with enforced doors should do the trick when you have some supplies there too (some food and water). Same for places, like schools, having a tornado proof cellar could be made mandatory and costs of making those isn't really that high. Here in Finland we still have "bomb shelters" in pretty much all appartment building blocks and if I remember correctly they are still mandatory. Buildings with several stories are problematic of course when it comes to tornados as they'll collapse ontop of the shelters.

Looking at the pictures I find it rather remarcable that the death toll is as low as it is.

 

[Lallapalalable]

I agree; I was thinking "why aren't the buildings in such a tornado prone region build more aerodynamically?" Of course, Katrina is what it took for many gulf state residents to start doing so, and I think this would be a similar wake-up call for the builders unions of the Midwest. Of course, the short answer is money, but there could be more to it. Red Shield conspiracy?

I think it's a great parallel to Katrina, that the buildings and prevention efforts were 'good enough' for smaller storms, but one big one can fuck everything up in several minutes like it was nothing. This tornado, an EF-4, stayed on the ground for forty minutes and went on a rampage that a B-list action movie from the 90's would have killed to have thought of for their finale scene. Yeah, tornadoes are common in that area, but I think this is the biggest storm of my life, and to happen at a time when everyone has a camera on hand makes it super-documented, and the true implications of something like this hit harder than ever to the outside observer. This video is a pretty stark vision of just what this thing was and what it did:

Time-lapse

Already had plans to actively avoid this region for potential living arrangements, and this officially seals it.

 

[Nemesiah]

Mexico city's building standards went thruough a great change after both the 57 and 85 earthquakes, sadly being stupid as we are corruption got the better of us and many people tossed the new regulations out the window, I HATE living in an apartment building but I am currently incapable of changing my residence, however (suposedly) in this city buildings are supposed to have a certain kind of bases and a certain kind of columns and a certain kind of separations so that when earthquakes present themselves buildings (and thus humans) are as little damaged as posible. The best would be to get the fuck out of here and go live somewere else but If it is imposible then at least one has to take those "common" dissasters into account when building. And finincialy speaking the thing is that the cost of this disasters is hard to calculate since it digs into peoples savings, insurance companies, infraestructure, etc... so in the long run it may be more cost efective just to relocate, also in the human suffering category I believe thos dissasters are truly devastating as not only do damage the one time but scar people for life (in Mexico city we are still paranoid about earthquakes)

 

[Vivre]

Time-lapse

Already had plans to actively avoid this region for potential living arrangements, and this officially seals it.

Why give it a chance if you have the choice to settle in more 'friendly' region.

Thanks for sharing these impressive views.

I'm glad that we don't have these extreme weather occurences in Europe but we do have e.g. regularly wide floodings or landslides with much damage. Still we keep on inhabiting these areas while encreasing the pressure on the waterways.