jladue
EF1
I'm writing this post in regards to the comments about whether anything can be done to mitigate deaths in tornadoes amongst residents living in less than fortress buildings. I've surveyed a number of tornadoes in the southeast US and in the Plain states. Honestly the only difference I've seen is that the southeast US tornadoes typically occurred at night and were fast moving leaving someone with little recourse but to 'ride it out'. The demographics were similar for where people lived. A lot of people live in modular homes in both regions.
So the question I ask is how much can a homeowner do to make his/her structure more survivable? I really don't know the answer to this question because there are so few studies available.
Recent code changes in hurricane zones require mobile homes to have more frequent anchorings (I think 4' on center) and straps around the metal frames. The Lady Lakes tornadoes took everything above the frames of these new mobile homes. IOW, the next weakness of the mobile homes was exploited by the tornadoes: the cheaply connected stud walls.
I'm sure the better anchored frames may have allowed lives to be saved. Any homeowner who anchors his/her frame better takes one step up the ladder of survivability. But if everything's taken off above the frame, survivability is not likely to be very good. However, I've documented damaged mobile homes reduced to one wall where the occupants survived because of that wall. I'm more confident that it may not take much to allow at least one wall standing. What if the same homeowner who beefed up the frame anchoring added clips to the mobile home load path? Clips cost a single $. Add 150 of them and ideally you could get a big boost in survivability for relatively little cost. Now it's not always that simple to retrofit because you have to get behind the walls but I think the idea has been made.
Even with $150 worth of clips installed and a well anchored frame, a mobile home isn't going to be the fortress a concrete house may be but it could give you two steps up the ladder of survivability. Maybe more walls would be left behind. For someone barely able to make ends meet, perhaps $150 and a little sweat equity isn't so daunting.
Jim
So the question I ask is how much can a homeowner do to make his/her structure more survivable? I really don't know the answer to this question because there are so few studies available.
Recent code changes in hurricane zones require mobile homes to have more frequent anchorings (I think 4' on center) and straps around the metal frames. The Lady Lakes tornadoes took everything above the frames of these new mobile homes. IOW, the next weakness of the mobile homes was exploited by the tornadoes: the cheaply connected stud walls.
I'm sure the better anchored frames may have allowed lives to be saved. Any homeowner who anchors his/her frame better takes one step up the ladder of survivability. But if everything's taken off above the frame, survivability is not likely to be very good. However, I've documented damaged mobile homes reduced to one wall where the occupants survived because of that wall. I'm more confident that it may not take much to allow at least one wall standing. What if the same homeowner who beefed up the frame anchoring added clips to the mobile home load path? Clips cost a single $. Add 150 of them and ideally you could get a big boost in survivability for relatively little cost. Now it's not always that simple to retrofit because you have to get behind the walls but I think the idea has been made.
Even with $150 worth of clips installed and a well anchored frame, a mobile home isn't going to be the fortress a concrete house may be but it could give you two steps up the ladder of survivability. Maybe more walls would be left behind. For someone barely able to make ends meet, perhaps $150 and a little sweat equity isn't so daunting.
Jim