Oklahoma City Hurricane

[sippo]

My word the devestation caused is so so tragic. A mile wide tornado in places!

 

What is with the 'chasers' as well. Talk about adrenaline rush!

 

BBC News - Oklahoma tornado: Dozens killed in Moore

[Flatpackhamster]

Does anyone know why people who live in areas like that build their houses out of balsa wood and paper instead of concrete and bricks?

[X-13]

Does anyone know why people who live in areas like that build their houses out of balsa wood and paper instead of concrete and bricks?

 

They've had cowboys in.

[jinnantonnixx]

Does anyone know why people who live in areas like that build their houses out of balsa wood and paper instead of concrete and bricks?

 

Just guessing, but it's perhaps so that they could be rebuilt quickly and relatively cheaply? The area is known as Tornado Alley so it's 'when' rather than 'if'. Did any brick buildings survive the tornado?

[tech_guy]

That kind of building is just using traditional construction methods in the USA.

 

Terrible for the people there - really feel for them. The devastation is just awful.

[Andrew_C]

Most of the west uses timber. Maybe brick clay is rare (I lived in Texas, but had little interest in building then (other than playing on building sites)). The big advantage is that it is all relatively light. Short of a bomb shelter, nothing was going to stand up to a direct hit from that!

[featured_spectre]

Does anyone know why people who live in areas like that build their houses out of balsa wood and paper instead of concrete and bricks?

 

Other than being traditional, it is for speed purposes, they can knock up a wood house in about 1/4 of the time a brick house can be done (due to cement drying times etc). However the force of that tornado would have ruined a brick house also, unless it was steel rebar reinforced through all of the bricks with a very deep foundation.

[6Foot2]

Link 1: Oklahoma Tornado Damage [interactive map]

 

This map shows just-released satellite imagery of the damage from the tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma, and vicinity on May 20.

 

http://i.snag.gy/Fn3em.jpg

 

Link 2: Google Crisis Map

 

http://i.snag.gy/6wXpj.jpg