When you live in a tornado-prone region, it’s smart to have an emergency plan in place that all members of your family understand like the back of their hand; it’s the sort of awareness that could save their lives. In the midst of a tornado warning, the rush of an EF-2 or EF-3-rated tornado wind can destroy a house in seconds.
As most disaster watch organizations will advise, an underground cellar or a safe room built or retro-fitted in an existing space in your home is your safest bet. In the absence of one in your home or business, you should be able to identify beforehand the safest places in the building, or the nearest community shelter in your area. Have your family be familiar with your community’s severe weather warning signals to give everyone enough time to run for safety.
There are options for reinforcing the structure of your home to buttress it more effectively against tornadoes. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IIBHS) recommends one of the most important safety measures that knowledgeable roofing contractors in Bethesda, MD should be familiar with:
Conventionally built structures do not have much of a safety margin against structural damage and the connections are quite brittle, according to IBHS research. The connection between your roof structure and the walls is one of the most important in your house or business. Using straps to tie the roof to the walls and, if possible, the walls to the foundation will result in better performance in severe wind events. Installing roof straps could increase the cost of a wood frame house by two percent, but is money well spent.
Ask your roofer to use a metal connector to attach each roof framing member to the wall. Several construction hardware manufacturers provide a variety of connectors that will accommodate most conditions.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA 320) provides funding to help home and business owners with “safe room” construction (or retrofitting) costs. As life safety is the first concern, trusted Maryland roofers, such as Roof Masters, will reiterate that any remodeling that considers reducing tornado risk should ideally combine installing a safe room, as well as reinforcing the connections between roof and walls and foundation.
The more interior you can get into the building, the safer it is. Keep doors and windows shut—when high-speed winds rush through the gaps, the inside gets pressurized like an inflating balloon and can blow off your roof. You never know how long you’re going to ride out the storm in your cellar or safe room, so don’t forget to stock up on flashlights and batteries, medications, documents (insurance homeowner’s policy, including) and food.
(Article Information and Image from IBHS resources to prepare, respond and rebuild after a storm, Insurance Institute for Business &Home Safety)