Life in Tornado Alley: Last House Standing (Extreme Weather Documentary)

[@USJTAC]

A few years ago, the mayor of Moore, Oklahoma joked that if Moore were to be hit by another F5/EF5 tornado during his time in office, he would change the city name to “No Moore”.

[@nenblom]

Wow

[@Thobela-h3x]

Japan has earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes you name it. They have rebuilt their cities with these natural phenomena in mind. They have underground tunnels that can evacuate water as rapidly as possible. It is possible if the government helped to put in place building codes and financial assistance for stronger buildings.

[@Glenys8080]

Democracy in Japan is much different to the USA. It’s a Unitary state, where the government has the majority of control of over laws etc. Unfortunately, the USA is a federal state where almost everything is scrutinised by several levels of government with support and opposition from either side. Even if a law is passed in one state, it cannot be automatically applied in a neighbouring state. Plus there will always be lobbyists who greatly influence the government either in each individual state or the whole country. Building lobbyists and the NRA etc provide much wanted funding to candidates for elections and think because they pay so much taxes that they cannot be subjected to tighter regulation and laws. I grew up and still live in Scotland. We are allowed kinder eggs here but 🔫 are banned. America is the complete opposite 🤦🏼‍♀️ Same with buildings. The grenfell tower fire in London led to the Scottish government introducing tighter building standards even though it happened in England.

[@vasahwira]

@@Glenys8080 It also doesn't help that there's a particular governing philosophy (in American conservatism mainly) that advocates for removing regulations in spite of their merits

[@VVVvvv___vvvVVV-z7r]

I want to travel to Japon

[@Dahn.Baern.]

Government will save us. Good thinking! They’re our only hope. We can’t afford to protect ourselves. Let’s take money from everyone else at threat of imprisonment to do so!

[@Thobela-h3x]

@@VVVvvv___vvvVVV-z7r lol ! Me too. Thanks, I corrected it. I also speak French hence the 'Japon'.

[@TeKnoVKNG23]

Builders have been doing this for awhile now. There was a recent tornado outbreak in Tennessee. It looked like EF4+ damage and houses were absolutely leveled. It turned out when they did the damage surveys that they were only EF2 strength, the newer homes and construction in general was so bad and so out of code that the buildings that should have survived with some damage were leveled and totally demolished. It's a crime what builders get away with, especially on "new" construction these days.

[@tinyginger]

I lived in Seattle up until 3 years ago. I now live in Oklahoma. I’d rather go through a tornado than an earthquake. I remember the 2001 6.8 one in Seattle and it was the scariest thing in my life. You can at least hide from a tornado, you can’t hide from any other natural disaster.

[@aaronhuffman4852]

No wood frame home no matter how strong will survive an ef 5 tornado at 300mph winds!

[@vinny4411]

Nor will any brick, stone metal or any other known structure material

[@JamieOwens-rg8hd]

The newly built brick homes in Jarrell couldn’t even sustain those winds.

[@LoriSuddath]

Not only does it obliterate wood if bends metal it tosses bricks basically have to build your homes underground in those areas

[@PaulHosey]

In Joplin it was strong enough to make a piece of wood penetrate concrete

[@PaulHosey]

​@@vinny4411the Roman's made indestructible cement that's still standing. Surely there has to be something we can do. I don't live in tornado alley but I care about people in those situations.

[@Bryan-lj9jn]

Why not start building under ground? We should just becomes Hobbits. LOL

[@elaineteut9579]

We were staying in Ft. Walton Beach, east of Mexico Beach when Michael hit. A couple days later, we headed down to Homestead to see our granddaughter. We could not believe the damage we saw on the way down. It looked like a giant had come along and just mowed down whole swaths of trees.

[@sarahtorrance5504]

Shout out to my fellow Panama City residents!!! This place STILL has damage everywhere. It's been 5 years.

[@garylagstrom3864]

I live in Santa Monica California (Los Angeles County) used to live in San Francisco. My house is new and built to current earthquake codes for California and the office I work in has been retrofitted to current California earthquake codes. I have a storm shelter with a month’s worth of food and supplies in the case of an actual earthquake emergency. I forgot to add the biggest earthquake I was in: Loma Prieta in San Francisco October 17th 1989. I was at the A’s-Giants World Series game! 15 seconds of pure adrenaline and fear! I’m glad I wasn’t on the Bay Bridge and especially not on the Cypress Expressway!

[@eastfrisian_88]

I'm a little shocked that there are often no set building codes against extreme weather in the US. I live very close to the North Sea coast in Germany and roofs and exterior walls here are specially reinforced and must be able to withstand wind gusts of over 120 mph for an hour, even if all the roof tiles have come off. If the levee bursts during a flood, I could be flooded 12 ft as I live below sea level, I live in a rental and still have supplemental insurance that only costs me $60 a year but pays up to $150,000 in damages. A friend of mine lives in a wooded area and he has to cut back the vegetation on his property and had to follow certain guidelines when renovating his house. In my opinion, these building regulations are not a form of paternalism from the government, but are necessary because otherwise they are not adhered to and the expected damage remains lower with all measures - this also reduces insurance costs enormously.

[@chloehennessey6813]

2:51 You can build a home to withstand a tornado or a hurricane- but it’s going to cost $100,000s of more. A $300,000 home will cost $600,000.

[@anja0106]

So how much money would you consider a human life to be worth? I think that’s the real question with this type of argument. And I understand that there is a complexity to the issue of housing prices and the economic impact of that, but a beautiful thing about capitalism is that it corrects itself to a degree, right? If the standard of safety is non-negotiable, the competition and pricing variations start to rely on factors other than safety, right? I just get very frustrated with the theme in this country of “safety is not a right, but a privilege for people who can afford it.” That is so wrong to me.

[@CMoore8539]

People keep building even though they know they’re building in a dangerous place. Especially in Florida!

[@nathanirby4273]

What do you suggest? We abandon the whole coast? Climate change is essentially making every coastal city more dangerous every year. I live in Louisiana, so I know a thing or two about natural disasters, and if you have a viable solution aside from don't rebuild our homes on our land, I would love to hear it.

[@CMoore8539]

@@nathanirby4273 There’s no alternative but there should be. I wouldn’t leave my land either. I used to live in Louisiana too. New Orleans has always been below sea level. They built it up.

[@JamieOwens-rg8hd]

Risk vs. Reward. The natural beauty we get to enjoy everyday outweighs the possibility of a bad hurricane that *might* hit your town instead of somewhere else. We love our home and will just continue to rebuild like we always have ❤️

[@tomsparks6099]

It's appalling that safety technology has not been put to use until now to build safer homes for these storms. Now the question is if manufacturers and construction companies are going to gouge homeowners. It should be mandatory, funded, and insurance companies cannot deny claims. Think about all those families who have lost their children to the winds and waters and collapse and debris because of shoddy construction. Know your contractor and don't waiver liability.

[@jebbiekanfer8843]

It always shocks me to see mobile homes in FL and the mid west. How can these homes withstand the mildest of severe weather?

[@vinny4411]

Risk vs reward. The risk of being hit is so low it doesn’t over ride the reward for inexpensive living in paradise

[@garylagstrom3864]

MAY 3RD 1999 and MAY 20TH 2013 F5 TORNADOES 🌪 IN MOORE OKLAHOMA 1999 REGISTERED 318 MPH: THE HIGHEST WIND SPEED EVER RECORDED ON PLANET EARTH 🌎 2013 F5-210 MPH. MAY 31ST 2013 F5-NEAR 300MPH IN EL RENO OKLAHOMA. If I lived in Oklahoma in particular and definitely in the town of El Reno and Moore…I would absolutely have a shelter built into the ground about 15-20ft deep minimum!!! 🌪🌪🌪😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😬😬😬🤐🤐🤐😳😳😳😵😵😵

[@bayoujd]

Life in tornado alley but most of the talk is about hurricane damage 🤔 this tornado alley shift east is crazy.

[@PaulHosey]

It hasn't shifted lmao the farthest east F5 tornado happened 39 years ago in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Most tornadoes in the northeast are weak isolated ones noone saw.

[@TimMaxShift]

31:40 You're sociopaths. You have shifted responsibility from the state and corporations to the people. So it's their fault they don't have the money to build their own fortresses? Or maybe it is the fault of those who have brought this economy to a state where people don't have money to live a decent life and keep themselves and their family safe? It is the same in every country in the world. Corporations and the state serving them, and ordinary people are engaged in survival. I.e. instead of just building houses so they don't collapse after every hurricane they offer insurance. Really? In the richest country in the world? Just take the military budget cuts and help people.... Right now, the U.S. military budget is equal to the sum of the next 10 countries. Or we take money away from corporations. The country demands it! It's like martial law. People are in trouble, corporations have to help. Building houses that can be demolished should simply be prohibited at the legislative level. It is not necessary to shift the responsibility to people. The whole video is an ode to subjective idealism. Everyone has to be for themselves. Yeah, yeah, I get it. Capitalism.

[@AnyKeyLady]

I remember watching Wizard of Oz as a kid, from the UK and remembering the 3 little pigs story, wondering why houses in the US were not built from brick? Why are houses built on wetlands? Those electric lines look rusted brown from salt damage. Code should lie with the developers as it is in the UK. Extensions have to be approved with the local authority, after their plans have been approved to standards. Properties built on wetlands shouldn't be insured as the risks drives up prices in local, stable locations as the risk to damage will spread to these local safe houses, caused by these risky builds. It isn't rocket science. That guys talking about making a profit from the misfortune of location is nasty.

[@billguill1859]

Yep. The building standards here in the states are sadly lacking. If i had the choice, I'd build a tornado shelter into the house, but the water table here is too high, so we'd have to build above ground, with concrete and rebar to get reinforcement, in the middle of the house, or behind the house in an underground bunker-type shelter.

[@hoobyhoo]

The economy is bad. It's not linear. Tornado Alley is a risky area and that's an understatement from a Midwest gal. I used to wonder why not rebuild with brick/stronger material and as the tornadoes are getting stronger and larger, I wonder why they can't move a bit to the east or west. Honest question with no judgement. I've personally experienced tornadoes and I am annoyed with the cycle that's soooo obvious. There is a lot of bureaucratic BS mixed in, too. Ugh

[@cokeweasel1064]

I'm glad some Americans are as perplexed by this as I am. It's insane to me that people choose to live in a place literally named "Tornado Alley"

[@sidstovell2177]

FEMA is a government agency supported by our taxes. So places which are multiply hit by natural disasters use up a lot of FEMA money. What is the answer? Dunno.

[@QueenRenne]

My best friend and her husband and children are still living here in Lake City FL. They can never go back to live in Panama City because prices have DRASTICALLY INCREASED for apartments that were destroyed. Even her parents lost their home. The ones in charge of helping people affected by hurricane Michael has seriously FAILED. 💯👀💅🏾

[@SadisticSenpai61]

That would be the land developers that swept in afterwards and scooped up all those properties in order to raise rent and house prices. It happens every time an area is swept clean.

[@jessicaw.6321]

Why is it that noone goes after country's like China and India about emissions, yet constantly go after America and Europe. We have done our part. Yet if those other countries can pour tons of pollution into the atmosphere. Nothing is done with them. It looks like to me that our countries are to financial be destroyed while those countries get wealthier and stronger. You cannot stop pollution in the world by only implementing restrictions on some countries and not all.

[@cokeweasel1064]

Climate change is an excuse for their stupid decisions

[@patriciastaton6182]

What do they consider the tornado Alley??

[@stephaniebaker4024]

Texas, Oklahoma and the Midwest. I am in Texas so it’s normal for us lol.

[@WouldntULikeToKnow.]

Tornado Alley is moving farther west than where it was traditionally located. This may be due to climate change as well.

[@alidapurdy]

Midwest states. South eastern states are the secondary "Dixie Alley". Luckily, very strong EF3+ tornados in the southeast aren't common. But we get them. In 2011, a small tornado went thru Knoxville TN. Destroyed one of mine and my ex husband's School buses. On May 23, 2000 we had a few touch down while I was in the hospital having my labor induced. Other parts of Tennessee have had them more often.

[@PaulHosey]

The Great Plains of the US. And its common in the far southeast as well. Known as Dixie Alley. The reason for that is atmosphere and the super cells that produce them are more common in those areas.

[@PaulHosey]

You couldn't pay me to live there. And here we don't have tornadoes, at least not to that degree, or hurricanes. Just rain and snow which is annoying but doesn't give me nightmares lol

[@jewelhurst7650]

Comment to FEMA person and flood insurance: “Only a few hundred dollars more”. WRONG, it can be thousands more. More than the mortgage at times. I am MS Gulf Coast so I know!

[@jaybillyjosh]

just why do they build houses out of wood in dangerous areas ?

[@alidapurdy]

Wood houses, if built to the correct standard, can withstand the majority of what is thrown at it. In different areas, there are different standards. But builders cut coats and inspectors are often either paid off or worse, know nothing about the construction industry so have no idea what they're really looking at so they will pass subpar buildings.

[@jaybillyjosh]

@@alidapurdy why not brick or concrete is it to dear over there to do that way ?

[@sammygirl6910]

@@jaybillyjosh Wood used to be cheap. Not anymore. I'd prefer a cement block home personally.

[@alidapurdy]

@@jaybillyjosh We have brick homes. Most still have wood framing for added strength... but wood framed buildings are just more cost effective. I live in a 3 story apartment building with the first 2 stories being brick and the 3rd is wood framed and covered in vinyl siding. It's very common for our buildings to be mixed materials.

[@kop-uv2dx]

@@alidapurdy research has actually shown that brick & concrete buildings (like they build in the majority of western Europe) will actually be able to withstand the projectiles as thrown around by the high winds (like it happens in hurricanes & tornadoes)... unlike those wood-frame houses without bricks where those projectiles go straight through...

[@Austrian_blood]

The planet is fighting back! 🆘

[@nenblom]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe Moore is the first city in the world to build homes up to code.

[@nenblom]

2011 The year the atmosphere exploded with tornadoes. Is it too late to prevent the severe consequences of global warming?

[@SadisticSenpai61]

Until the building codes are updated to higher standards, builders won't build to those standards. They always build to the building code's minimum standards _unless_ asked to by the person paying for the home to be built - and most homes in the US are built by developers who have no intention of living there. So why would they care about building them to a higher standard than the law requires? Especially when it won't make any difference to their profits. Basically, stop blaming the ppl that buy these houses. Very rarely do ppl have the money to build a house. They're almost always moving into an existing house - including when that house had no previous residents.

[@Allannah_Of_Rome]

Not to be nasty but in Australia they have extreme weather in parts of the country and live underground due to the heat so why can't people who live in tornado prone areas do the same? It would be safer! Like, schools, shopping malls and offices fo example. It's much cheaper to build underground, just ask the Aussies!!

[@josephj6521]

Cooper Pedy is the underground town your referencing in the state of South Australia.

[@steveGR1990]

I deeply understand what all these people are going through, the loss of loved ones, their homes and every possession swept away, their entire lives changed forever, but... When you build a house next to a volcano you have no right to complain about lava in the living room and ash around the house.

[@TexasKim]

What resources or support exists for those of us living in Historic Districts? We aren’t allowed to change anything on our homes or buildings. We can’t do anything to even make our homes more energy efficient , much less use sustainable materials or materials that provide additional protection from storms.

[@elaineteut9579]

Who do we blame when a day starts out beautiful and then we see planes lay the white trails criss crossing the sky and then our skies have that sickly milky look?

[@KaileyB616]

Oh you haven't heard? We just call anyone who notices a "conspiracy theorist", and then we go back to pretending it isn't happening.

[@vicalsi1568]

Need to return to natural building. Compressed stabilized earth blocks are ideal!

[@PaulHosey-u3l]

Thankfully I don't live in any alley. Sometimes a tropical storm or a weak hurricane but no tornadoes or earthquakes lol

[@ToRung]

Always be confident and win. You deserved it 😍❤💞🌹 Have a nice day

[@suburbantrapqueen]

WHAT? Win what?! Life isn't a freaking game.

[@annettehewitson6426]

So why not build dome house with dirt rocks over the top.

[@Jojo-xt7ks]

Earthquake Alley here 🙋🏻‍♀️

[@amandab.recondwith8006]

Yeah. Ignorance is why insurance agencies are dropping Florida and California. When you lose your house three times and keep building the same house in the same place, you are no longer profitable, and the insurance companies are all about PROFIT! It's tough titty for us, while their top executives fly around in their private jets and live in several huge estates around the world. When are we going to stop supporting these greedy fiends?

[@jamesbarry1673]

The insurance company are telling you where it's safe to live and where it's not.

[@sidstovell2177]

Hurricane probability: and then came OTIS, October 22, 2023, that hit Acapulco and lots of surrounding pueblos. Wasn't supposed to be that strong, or that fast. But. Predict unpredictability.

[@Tammissa]

Yes it’s devastating but if you can afford to live in Malibu and your Mercedes unfortunately got damaged……you can afforded to rebuild. Sorry, I don’t feel bad for the rich. I feel for the underprivileged struggling people.

[@CMoore8539]

Me too. The rich don’t have a clue what hard times really are.

[@Devilabandoned]

What if it's someone who's built themselves up from nothing and at some point their home and car (no matter the make) gets ripped to pieces by natural event. yeah they may of had the money to afford living there but I imagine a number of them people put blood,sweat and tears into build a life like that and don't deserve to have it ripped away... not all people with money and uptight snobs yano. Edit: didn't think I would need to tell that to someone older than myself.

[@CMoore8539]

@@Devilabandoned I agree with you. I respect all self made Rich People.

[@alexeberlin6543]

As a south african, i always question why Americans use wood to build their houses, here we use bricks. its so odd that they would even think to use wood, when hurricanes, torandos and fires are a thing, its really not logical.

[@twist-96]

Pump ocean water to put out fires? Sorry ma’am but ocean waters a last resort. It takes a year (give or take) to built a fire engine or pumper tanker. Ocean water will destroy that pumper/engines water pump. The one critical piece of equipment that provided the water is immediately done. Its a hard choice but it has to be made. Sorry about ur belongings but you’re alive. Flood insurance for $300! HA! No, try $800 for a 1500sq home not even in the fema flood areas.

[@gabbi111969]

I was wondering why I hadn't seen a comment like this. Not to mention, the ocean water would contaminate to soil with salt. Nothing would grow after the fire.

[@randomfan4521]

Its insane that our government sends so much money to other places and leave Americans to suffer because the government wont help.

[@MrKveite1]

I have always wondered why people build theese damn cardboard houses when they know they can be hit by a tornado or a hurricane....I live in norway and we dont have hurricanes but the house is still buildt with 8 x12 timber and yes that's 8x12 INCHES it's a H..ll of a lot more solid than what they build in Florida or Tornado alley from what i can see in any video.

[@aaronhuffman4852]

Cost

[@KaileyB616]

Money dude, not everyone has the money to pay for higher quality construction. In America it's become so expensive to own even the most basic of homes.

[@Argelius1]

Unfortunately, one of our two political parties hates regulation and thinks the "free market" is the solution to everything. When maximizing (usually short-term) profit is the driving philosophy, safety and resilience aren't even in the cards.

[@elaineteut9579]

Well, that wouldn’t be California, they have been run by Democrats for decades.

[@donnaturpin5995]

Its all driven by money. And the buyer has this " it wont happen to me concept" plus its a cheap quote NEW unquote home.

[@BUMPY_G_JAXON]

Come to the DFW THE ECONOMY IS GREAT.. AND VERY LIL TORONTOS. NO EATH QUAKERS.

[@DebraOdonnell-zb3vx]

Don't build in tornado alley then same in Australia with the floods they keep building in the same area I don't get it

[@pacopeso8474]

Weather has been occurring since time in memorial Man has no affect.

[@Austrian_blood]

What a foolish statement.

[@PaulHosey]

​@@Austrian_bloodyeah weather that has always occurred in the same place is to blame on ourselves or a sudden change in the climate. How foolish of him. Dumbass.

[@anja0106]

At this point, we can’t rely on individuals to make the safest decision. I don’t care what your outlook on the role of government is. Your political ideologies aren’t worth people’s LIVES. Asking individuals to oversee the building of their homes is the same as asking a patient to instruct their surgeon how to do the procedure. Should we not trust the professionals we pay? Why encourage distrust instead of ensuring that the distrust is unwarranted by creating a market based on integrity and safety.

[@masterspin7796]

What this man is saying about building homes up to a certain code would be so un-affordable that only1% of the population could afford it. If an area is prone to multiple natural disasters, then these areas should be "at your own risk" no insurance.

[@Hollylivengood]

There are already codes. They are affordable, it's just that builders don't always build to them. When Andrew went through Homestead, the place was flattened...except the Habitat for Humanity homes, which were all built to code, and actually beyond. They have their own safety codes that they build to, and they are a higher standard. These were all low cost homes, so it's affordable to build to.

[@masterspin7796]

Thanks for the lesson... @@Hollylivengood

[@ANYHOO0]

Florida is quickly losing insurance coverage, and good luck affording it.

[@masterspin7796]

It's happening here in Calif too...@@ANYHOO0

[@skweejee]

i was really hoping this wouldnt be a jew video pushing "climate change" and more focused on the storms themselves

[@oneandonly3139]

Why don’t American build their houses with concrete blocks ?

[@PaulHosey]

Money and political bullshit. I've heard of really bad tornadoes and the government refuses to provide storm shelters for schools and homes even after having a whole town destroyed. They don't care about those people.

[@Dahn.Baern.]

Climate propaganda. Hilarious

[@mikelmcknight72]

I clicked on this for extreme weather coverage. I did not click on it for climate change propaganda.

[@MrJacobrabbit]

Too much lobby money

[@yanethhernandez7064]

Es la historia de los tres cerditos. La gente tiene casitas de madera que son mas faciles, batatas y se pueden hacer mas rapido y viene el lobo tornado y se las tumba.

[@yanethhernandez7064]

Bueno mi casa no aguantaría, lo más probable es que el techo saldría volando, pero aquí no son comunes ese tipo de fenómeno

[@brucewayne7970]

Due to your breed of greed you're no longer in need God sees how greedy you guys are with your money and not helping people in Illinois where we are struggling the most

[@alidapurdy]

Every single state is struggling... Especially the more "rural" areas.

[@hobbyhermit66]

Bs

[@o_mtb1925]

Yankees cant build durable houses

[@PaulHosey]

Us Yankees don't have tornadoes so it doesn't matter 😂

[@holstein75]

As with the sins of Moses and the wondering for 40 years as punishment God is now punishing this wicked generation. All the changes you think you can make will not remove the promise God said he would do. Pick up a BIBLE and read, you can not stop this from happening, God said every knee will bend. Dream on that you can block Gods plan to destroy the earth . It was done in the day of Noah and it will be done again. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done . Amen.

[@cokeweasel1064]

You zealots live pretty pathetic lives

[@harryparsons2750]

Weather is not getting worse! Where do people come up with this nonsense. And nobody can think for themselves anymore

[@PaulHosey]

It's been longer now since the last F5 tornado than ever before. So much for getting worse lol but if it gets hot in the summer or cold in the winter it's climate change 😂

[@NS-Onyx]

Why aren't you building houses just beneath the surface of the ground? Or at least make it possible for the houses to be able to lower into the ground with hydraulics and when the storm is over, just elevate it back up to ground level.

[@JWLuke787]

That would be extremely expensive. It would be cheaper to build homes in tornado areas hurricane wind damage codes from florida. Even in an ef5, most of the actual damagenis ef3 or below. You can build to that spec without getting too expensive. Anchor bolts for the foundation, hurricane ties for the roof and all 2x4 connections etc