At least five people are dead after supercell tornadoes destroy hundreds of homes in the Deep South
Tornado season has come early to the southeast. Earlier this year, meteorologists warned us that changing global weather patterns could have dire consequences for the upcoming tornado season. So far, their forecasts were dead-on. On Thursday, deadly tornadoes killed at least five people in Alabama as the quick moving line of storms pulverized the Deep South with calamitous winds, hail and complete chaos. Altogether, 22 tornadoes were reported across Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi. Those who fortunate enough to survive the more harrowing moments of the storm will likely never forget how these killer storms shook them to their very core.
“I was like, this is probably it. I’m probably dead,” said Cesar Villasenor, of Pelham, Ala. “At one point, the van was shaking really bad to the point that I thought it was like to flip over. I was just shaking. I couldn’t control my hands.”
“The roof was lifted off, bricks were thrown through the windows of our garage doors, debris tossed inside the gym, our HVAC unit was ripped off our roof, glass thrown throughout the gym, our flooring is destroyed, along with other roof and structural damage to other parts of the building,” said Alex McNair.
Above-ground safe rooms and community tornado shelters can protect vulnerable populations
Deadly tornadoes are indiscriminate. These whirlwinds of destruction don’t play favorites when it comes to claiming lives and leveling homes. Undue death and destruction from sporadic storms are becoming the new reality in the Deep South. Earlier this year, meteorologists released compelling evidence to suggest that “Tornado Alley” is now shifting from the Midwest to the Southeast. Over the next several years, we can expect an increase in the frequency of supercell tornadoes, much like the line of storms the struck the beleaguered south last night. If the 2021 tornado season is any indicator of future events, we can expect more deadly tornadoes to visit the south with regularity. Tornadoes have already killed several people in Alabama and and the North Carolina coast. Contrary to what you might see on the silver screen, you can’t outrun a tornado.
At least two people killed in Thursday’s storm have one thing in common. They lived in mobile homes. To compound any already dire situation, an affordable housing crisis has left millions of vulnerable mobile home dwellers in the direct path of killer tornadoes. Mobile homes, which typically like the sturdy foundations of stick-built and brick homes, are particularly vulnerable to twisters. An above-ground safe room could be a readily available solution for those living in these communities. By securing a solid steel welded tornado shelter to a concrete pad, those residing in vulnerable communities can receive the same protection as the toughest built tornado shelters on the market. Community storm shelters could also provide protection for several families simultaneously.
Panelized bolt-together kits can be retrofitted into existing infrastructure
Tornado season is just heating up. You can expect similar blogs on these killer storms in the very near future. While several people have already met an unfortunate demise this year as the result of deadly tornadoes, it’s not too late to invest in superior protection. Our panelized bolt-together kits can be easily installed into existing infrastructure. They are lightweight and can be discretely delivered to your home. Panelized kits offer the same protection as our solid-weld units. Storm shelter installation is not reserved for just the mechanically inclined. All you need is a few simple hand tools to create a formidable tornado shelter in your home or basement.
