Joplin, Missouri, Tornado of May 22, 2011

Book excerpt: "This report presents observations, findings, and recommendations from an engineering reconnaissance trip following the May 22, 2011, tornado in Joplin, Missouri. A team of professional engineers, wood scientists, and construction professionals was tasked with investigating and documenting the performance of residences and critical buildings [International Building Code (IBC) Occupancy Category II, III, and IV] in Joplin. The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale 5 tornado created a 7-mile-long damage swath, destroying over 5,000 buildings in the process and killing over 150 people. The total economic loss from this single event was nearly 25% of the total loss caused by the 1,400 tornadoes that were reported during Spring 2011. The Joplin tornado occurred just one month after another tornado devastated Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and together these events caused over $13 billion in economic losses, or approximately 3% of the combined annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the two states"--Provided by publisher.