NIST Report on Joplin Tornado Recommends Public Shelters and Building Codes

A NIST report about its investigation into the 2011 Joplin tornado calls for nationally accepted standards for building design and construction, and public shelters and emergency communications to reduce deaths caused by tornadoes. The tornado killed 161 people and destroyed thousands of buildings.

Safe rooms, storm shelters and nuclear power plants have tornado-resistant design standards, but no such standards exist for ordinary buildings. In its report, NIST calls for nationally accepted standards that can be adopted at the local level in building codes. It also says that hospitals and emergency operations centers should meet standards that will ensure they can remain in operation during tornados.