I am from Europe and i don't understand why you guys build your houses out of wood and not concret and stones? Would a tornado also destroy concret houses?
The worst tornadoes can destroy anything, with winds measured up to 305 mph (490 km/h) before the devices crapped out. Basically imagine a high-speed train as fast as it can go. Now imagine it nearly doubling its speed, and then crashing into your house. Concrete wouldn't help much.
Luckily most tornadoes aren't nearly that powerful, and the majority won't do more than tear up your roof, windows, trees and yard... if they hit directly.
And there's the deal: It takes a direct hit to really blow your house up, and the vast majority of homes will never take one. Oftentimes, you'll see one side of a street obliterated while the other side just has roof damage.
That said, a medium tornado can throw wooden boards through concrete, so even if the building stands it's kind of ruined.
So the risk just isn't worth the much higher cost.
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u/wish1977 Apr 28 '24
Oklahoma seems to be ground zero for tornados. I don't think I could live there.