NIST tornado reports urge new safety standards
Thursday, December 5, 2013 - 09:30
in Mathematics & Economics
Nationally accepted standards for building design and construction, public shelters and emergency communications can significantly reduce deaths and the steep economic costs of property damage caused by tornadoes. That is the key conclusion of a 2-year technical investigation by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) into the impacts of the May 22, 2011, tornado that struck Joplin, Mo. Recommendations for achieving these standards are featured in a draft report issued for public comment on Nov. 21, 2013, and are strongly supported by a second NIST report released today that documents impacts observed following the May 20, 2013, tornado in the Newcastle-Moore area of Oklahoma.