Midwest Crisis

[zigmark]

I wanted to start a thread on here for informational purposes regarding the Midwest tornado.

So, if you have any good links to assistance funds, support groups in that area, or any other useful information associated with the relief of people affected by this please post in this thread and hopefully anyone who visits this site and needs assistance will find the information useful.

How to help Oklahoma tornado victims

There is some good information on this link for helping.

I also heard that there is a group using face book to assist people with missing personal valuables such as pictures and other identifiable items. I don't have the link but maybe someone else is aware of it.

Thanks for any input.

ZIG

 

[Uncle Bob]

Thanks, Zig. I live about 20 miles north east of Moore and these folks are suffering. Please keep them in your prayers.

 

[fatboy]

Glad to hear you are OK UB........

 

[zigmark]

UB-

Thanks for checking in, I knew there were a few who lived in that area but I can never remember who lives where exactly.

Here are a few more links pertaining to the face book pages I mentioned.

Facebook group reunites tornado victims with photos, documents | KING5.com Seattle

blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/05/21/five-ways-you-can-help-oklahoma-tornado-victims/

abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2013/05/lost-and-found-facebook-groups-for-okla-tornado-victims/

ZIG

 

[mark handler]

302 mph Bridge Creek, Oklahoma on May 3, 1999 is often quoted as the highest surface wind speed on earth

So it is irresponsible, or even criminal, to design per the ICC wind chart

Let's all put our children in a school designed to 90 MPH standards

 

[mtlogcabin]

302 mph Bridge Creek, Oklahoma on May 3, 1999 is often quoted as the highest surface wind speed on earthSo it is irresponsible, or even criminal, to design per the ICC wind chart

Let's all put our children in a school designed to 90 MPH standards

I doubt it is criminal since the adopted code allows that design. The code cannot and should not account for every probability out there for a natural disaster. Today it is 302 mph and tomorrow there is one at 375 mph. My point is should the codes be based on the laws of probability and acceptable losses or do we always design to the worst case possible scenario? The nuke plants in Japan where seismically designed but had Japan never experienced that size before and did not incorporate the possibility of a Tsunami in the design. Lets not let emotions drive what becomes law

 

[mark handler]

Today it is 302 mph and tomorrow there is one at 375 mph.

302 mph Bridge Creek, Oklahoma on May 3, 1999

that was 14 years ago

let's see, Joplin was May 22, 2011, one year ago

when will the numbers in the code reflect reality

 

[pwood]

we have homes designed for 350# p.s.f. snow loads here so why not require homes to meet the 350 mph winds there? it's all relevant. the tax payers end up footing the bill for under-designed structures.besides maniac could use the work!

 

[Mark K]

Building regulations must balance the potential risk against the consequences of addressing that risk. If we required each building to be designed and constructed to eliminate all risk this would mean spending less to address other problems thus resulting in a greater loss of life. The adoption of building regulations reflects that balance.

The reality is that you cannot design a building to eliminate all risk.

Assuming compliance with all laws and regulations the decision to design for better performance is the decision of the Building Owner not the design professional. I believe the designer has an obligation to inform his client of the issues. But it is not appropriate for the designer or the building official to impose their personal beliefs on the building owner.

 

[jpranch]

It is my understanding that after the 1999 event that all new schools there were required to provide storm shelters. The time is now for retrofitting the existing schools in areas that are prone to tornado's. This would be a state decision and not one made by a model minimum building code.

 

[zigmark]

One of the two schools hit did not have below ground shelter. Brian Williams and NBC have a special running right now. It isn't very manly but hearing teachers talk about having to choose which kids to lay on top of and try to save while others are hurt, injured or swept away is impossible to fathom without tears. They discussed the need for retroactively requiring them but say they don't have them in place.

ZIG

 

[Builder Bob]

I understand the desire to build against tornado's after this incident, but we also have the same people pulling for earthquake design who are violently against sprinkler systems in homes.............

More people are lost in fires every year than in tornadoes , earthquakes, or plane crashes in a year. While, we are at it, lets bans cars since they kill people, etc. etc.etc.

The point is... the codes are a MINIMUM standard, nothing prohibits a customer or client to exceed the MINIMUM code requirements if they so desire.

 

[JPohling]

I have no idea what the codes are in Oklahoma that may help resist these high wind events, but I just saw for the first time some photographs of the Plaza Towers Elementary school prior to the event and it looked like a glorified mobile home. Certainly not what I had expected. I do not necessarily believe that many structures could withstand a direct hit like what was experienced, nor do I expect them to design their buildings to be able to resist a EF5 event, but I know I expected to see something more substantial. If they continue to replace the structures with this type of construction then some underground shelters in these types of occupancies should be required.

 

[jpranch]

CNN News Article. Mayor in Oklahoma wants mandatory storm shelters in all new homes.

Moore mayor: New law needed to keep people safe - CNN.com

 

[Alias]

First off, glad to hear you are okay UB.

Second, I heard on CNN/NBC/CBS, a call for all schools in Oklahoma to have storm shelters. What I see possibly happening is a state law requiring schools to install storm shelters. If that happens, might want to add hospitals (essential service buildings).

Sue