Is a Brick Home Safer in a Tornado? Yes! Withstanding Winds Up to F2 and F3 Levels

Safety should be your first priority if you’re contemplating building a brick house in a tornado-prone zone. One typical question you might crave an answer to is, is a brick house safer in a tornado? Please read on to understand whether or not a brick house can hold up to strong tornado winds and if it’s wise to build one. And no I won’t give an analogy of the three big bad wolves here, but more why Brick Houses are just that much more structurally sound to withstand a Tornado and high wind speed.

Understanding Tornadoes

A tornado is a narrow, violently rotating air column extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. Like conventional winds, they aren’t stationary and move violently at supersonic speeds of about 300 mph. A case in point, tornadoes can make automobiles airborne, clear down trees, and rip homes in shreds—literally. But with a Brick House….well you’ve got more of a chance, much more!

Do Brick Houses Hold Up to Tornados?

Brick is pretty robust, and unlike other building materials, including wood, it pretty much holds up to the wind. Brick houses, therefore, have a chance to survive a tornado, but they may not escape untouched. If your house’s roof isn’t robust enough, there’s a slim chance that it may withstand such meteoric wind forces.

In essence, tornadoes up to EF3-rated, with wind speeds of about 136 and 165 mph, can spare a brick house. However, winds greater than 200 mph can potentially destabilize your brick house. That’s to say that your brick house can be safe if tornadoes don’t exceed 200 mph. The good thing is that you reinforce your brick house to withstand violent and destructive tornados.

How Do You Reinforce Your Brick House to Withstand Tornados

Tornados are masters of tossing and pushing and love throwing things around much—so to speak. Therefore, while the wind may directly impact your brick walls, the debris and objects flying around can wreak havoc on your home. That begs the question: How do you reinforce your brick house?

Simple. Ensure that your foundation is solid and can withstand tornadoes. Besides, reinforce walls with steel, use impact-resistant doors and windows, and secure your roof with hurricane straps and clips. For your safety, always have a safe room or storm shelter handy.

Conclusion On Is a Brick House Safer in a Tornado?

A brick house can withstand up to 200 mph tornadoes if you properly reinforce it. However, please always retouch damaged areas after tumults to maintain integrity. I decided to keep this post short and sweet rather than rag on for awhile. The statistics show, Brick houses are safer than the rest by far in terms of Tornado reinforcements! For more information on all things weather, be sure to read on and subscribe!

Sources:

https://weather.com/safety/winter/news/2019-10-15-how-handle-driving-black-ice

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