General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: BREAKING: Breyerwood Elementary has taken a direct hit. Reports of kids trapped. [View all]haele
(12,649 posts)8 inch re enforced cinder block walls, bolted re-bar to support the roofing. Just like homes in Florida's hurricane alley are supposed to be built. If the bedrock is close to the surface, they might have weighed the cost of digging down deep and making a sufficient shelter for all the children and surrounding homes as opposed simply to building to withstand 200 mph winds.
Unfortunately, it appears as if this was an F5, 250 - 300 mph when it hit the school. And it's still early in the season.
Architecturally speaking, the school would probably have survived most if not all the tornadoes that had been measured at the time it was built.
But this is going to be the new normal, so states that are part of Tornado Central are going to have to think about making new building codes and retro-fitting buildings and shelters to handle annual F5+ tornadoes.
Haele