It's Tough To Build Homes That Can Withstand Tornadoes
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The tornadoes of December 26th devastated neighborhoods.
13 people killed and hundreds of homes either severely damaged or destroyed. Images forever seared into our minds.
Can homes be built to withstand tornadoes?
Omar Teal with Plantation Homes says homes can be built to withstand hurricanes, but tornadoes are another story.
"You've got a tunnel, a vacuum and a lot of debris flying around," Teal says. "And that's what makes it very difficult to withstand -- not like a hurricane."
Still, Teal says homebuilders use modern techniques to construct homes that can withstand winds of up to 200 miles an hour.
"Newer homes are built with what's called engineered shear walls, and they've got a lot of hardware and straps inside the home, as well as hurricane tie-downs and clips for the roof to try to keep them in place as well," Teal says.
Despite all that, even the newest of homes are not tornado-proof.
Plantation Homes was in the process of building a subdivision called The Vineyards, just off of Miller Road in Rowlett. It took a direct hit from the December tornado.
"We lost our model home, as well as three other standing inventory homes," Teal says, "not to complete total devastation, but by the removal of the roof and some of the siding and things like that, the damage was so extensive that the insurance company decided to push them over."
And like everyone else directly impacted by the tornado, Plantation will rebuild.
"It was a very terrifying incident," says Teal. "If you haven't experienced it before, you probably don't want to. But I'm thankful to God that we were fairly untouched and lived through it."
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