by Pops » Thu 26 May 2011, 17:19:15
They rated this storm an EF 5 - thats sustained wind over 200mph, and this one had multiple vortices to boot. I don't know but I just don't think you are going to be able to afford to build much besides a hospital above ground that can withstand those loads. In fact I saw a structural engineer yesterday on the tube who didn't sound optimistic the hospital would be salvageable.
Home depots and Walmarts are made from a kit I'd bet, the same in LA as Joplin. you can see in this pic of the home depot the only thing standing is the loading dock and probably restroom corner.
A guy I know parked his car by that loading dock and survived, he got pretty lucky.
You can only build the levees so tall, design for an earthquake so strong or a wind so high the best you can do is have a hidey hole and pay attention. In fact many people interviewed admitted they had heard the warning sirens but ignored them.
But you are right, this country is pretty backwards when it comes to codes, I live in the next county over and we have no code compliance requirement whatsoever.
The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves -- in their separate, and individual capacities.
-- Abraham Lincoln, Fragment on Government (July 1, 1854)