Natural disasters, such as hurricanes and tornadoes, are inevitable throughout North America, leaving millions of homes exposed to damaging winds and weather conditions. Damage from these disasters takes years to fully repair infrastructure, rebuild homes, restore buildings, and get families and communities back on their feet.
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In areas of the U.S. where dangerous tornadoes and severe weather occur more frequently, more universities are incorporating reinforced rooms or storm shelters in their residence hall designs to provide an extra layer of protection for students.
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This year is shaping up to be a record-breaking one for tornadoes and severe weather. In just the first nine months, nearly 1300 tornadoes swept across the country. Since 2009, the International Building Code (IBC) has included standards for tornado shelters. However, not until the 2015 edition did it require certain buildings in tornado-prone areas to take additional precautionary measures. New K–12 facilities with occupant loads of 50 or more, as well as critical emergency operations, are among the structures that are now required to include a storm shelter if they reside in a 402-km/hr (250-mph) wind speed zone.
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