Tornadoes in the EF-2 and EF-3 range packing 111- to 165-mile-per-hour winds can destroy single-family homes, according to experts from the … Insulated or reinforced concrete can withstand the 250 miles per hour winds of an EF5 rated tornado. May 31, 2013. A concrete tornado room is only as good as its weakest point, making the door to the room an important factor. How to protect your house from an EF-5 tornado--and why FEMA doesn't recommend you even try. Latest. The solid structure of a concrete house enables it to withstand the force of an EF5 tornado with little effect or damage — most of the damage will be from debris that the tornado brings. I have never heard of a Tornado destroying a concrete building like you describe, but I would follow safety measures and stay away from windows and from beneath things that can fall on you. The higher up you are, the stronger the winds will be (learned this in Katrina). Tornadoes can exert enormous pressure on a building. Scientific tests performed on a life-sized house may determine future building materials and construction codes. The smaller wall area of a single story--and the impact-resistant brick sheathing--protected these buildings.” “Hail damage is also a real concern for all types of siding construction other than brick or masonry,” Cox added. The Fujita scale (F-Scale), or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation. Administrators of schools and . Can a structure survive an EF-4 or 5 tornado without damage? More Technology. Because concrete doors would weigh too much for people to maneuver when they need to access the room, fabricated or store-bought missile-resistant steel doors work best, according to Texas Tech University's Wind, Science & Engineering Research Center. A variety of methods can help a building survive strong winds and storm surge. At 300 mph, wind pressure equals 404 pounds per square foot. … Source: NOAA, The Enhanced F Scale is a set of wind estimates (not measurements) based on damage caused by a tornado. Damage to reinforced masonry and concrete walls from wind events is less than with other building material and they provide life protection from wind-driven debris. A Terrifyingly Strong Tornado Destroyed This Concrete Building The answer is an emphatic yes, if they are built as reinforced concrete shells. Tornado damage to buildings is predictable. By Dan Nosowitz. After the Greensburg, Kansas tornado of 2009, we wrote about Silo Homes -- circular concrete structures that mimic a grain silo, which helps it to be ultra tornado … The technology for designing and building tornado-resistant houses has been around since 1963. Tornadoes, cyclones, and other storms with strong winds damage or destroy many buildings.However, with proper design and construction, the damage to buildings by these forces can be greatly reduced. other public buildings should have a risk analysis performed to determine the likelihood that a tornado will occur and the potential severity of the event. Diy.