Protect Your Property from High 

Winds (April 2011)

E, C, CO, :

This series of 8 flyers describes how 

protecting your property from high 

winds can involve a variety of actions, 

from inspecting and maintaining your 

building to installing protective devices. Most of these actions, especially those that affect 

the exterior shell of your building, should be carried out 

by qualified maintenance staff or professional contractors 

licensed to work in your state, county, or city. 

https://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=3263

Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast: 

Mitigation Assessment Team Report, 

Building Performance Observations, 

Recommendations, and Technical 

Guidance (FEMA 549, July 2006)

E, C, H, : 4 ¤

In response to Hurricane Katrina, 

FEMA deployed a Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT) to evaluate and assess damage from 

the hurricane and provide observations, conclusions, and 

recommendations on the performance of buildings and 

other structures impacted by wind and flood forces. 

https://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1857

Design and Construction Guidance 

for Community Safe Rooms (FEMA 

361 – Second Edition, August 2008) 

E, C, CO, H, : 4 ¤

This document presents important 

information about the design and 

construction of community safe 

rooms that will provide protection during tornado and 

hurricane events. Community safe rooms are designed and constructed to protect a large number of 

people from a natural hazard event. The number of 

persons taking refuge in the safe room will typically 

be more than 12 and could be up to several hundred 

or more. This latest edition meets and exceeds the 

design criteria set for in the ICC-500, Standard for the 

Design and Construction of Storm Shelters.

https://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1657

Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal 

Construction: Technical Fact Sheet 

Series (FEMA P-499, December 

2010) E, C, CO, H, : 4 ¤

FEMA produced this series of 37 fact 

sheets to provide technical guidance 

and recommendations concerning 

the construction of coastal residential 

buildings. 

https://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=2138

Tornado Recovery Advisories 

E, C, CO, H, :

The Recovery Advisories provide 

information about tornado risk, sheltering from tornadoes, and improving 

manufactured homes against damage 

from high winds.

2011 Recovery Advisories in Alabama, Mississippi, 

Tennessee, Georgia, and Missouri

https://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=4723

2007 Tornado Recovery Advisories in Florida 

https://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=2631

2007 Tornado Recovery Advisories in Kansas 

https://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=2972

Wind Retrofit Guide for Residential 

Buildings (FEMA P-804, December 

2010) E, C, H, : 4 ¤

The purpose of this Guide is to provide guidance on how to improve the 

wind resistance of existing residential 

buildings in Mississippi and across the 

Gulf Coast. Although this Guide was 

developed to support initiatives in the Gulf Coast region, 

the content of this document should serve as guidance 

on retrofitting existing buildings for improved performance 

during high-wind events in all coastal regions.

https://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=4569

Building Science for 

Disaster-Resilient 

Communities: Wind 

Hazard Publications

FEMA L-780 / November 2011

Hurricane Katrina

in the Gulf Coast

Mitigation Assessment Team Report

Building Performance Observations, Recommendations, 

and Technical Guidance

FEMA 549 / July 2006

FEMA

Tornado Risks and Hazards in the Midwest United States HSFEHQ-07-J-0020 / August 2007 Page 1 of 5

Purpose and Intended Audience

The purpose of this Tornado Recovery Advisory (RA) is to

summarize facts about the Midwest tornado hazard, specically

the area served by FEMA Region VII. Region VII includes Iowa,

Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. The general population,

specically homeowners and renters, policy makers, local

ofcials, builders, and building ofcials know and understand

that tornado occurrence in the Midwest is not a rare event. In

fact, more than half of the 20 states with the highest frequency

of tornado occurrence on record, and 4 of the top 5 (Texas,

Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska) are located in the Midwest.

In addition, this RA identies FEMA resources that can be used to help design and construct shelters that

provide safe haven from tornadoes. These resources also guide construction of most building types (including

residences) to minimize damage from extreme wind events.

This Recovery Advisory Addresses:

Recent events

Tornado occurrence in “Tornado Alley”

Assessing risk

Can a building survive a tornado? Yes!

Weather radios

Recent Events

On the evening of May 4, 2007, “supercell”

thunderstorms formed across portions of

the Midwestern U.S., spawning tornadoes

in several states. An intense supercell

developed southwest of Greensburg, Kansas

that evening, resulting in the formation of 12

tornadoes. One of these tornadoes formed in

northwest Comanche County at approximately

9:00 pm and moved northeastward through

Kiowa County. At about 9:45 pm, this tornado

reached Greensburg, Kansas, a small

community of approximately 1,400 people, and

traveled from the town’s southern edge to its northwest border. The tornado was rated an EF5 (see sidebar)

with an estimated wind speed greater than 205 miles per hour (mph) and had a reported swath of 1.7 miles.

The tornado destroyed or severely damaged the majority of the buildings in Greensburg and caused the

deaths of 10 people. The death toll in Greensburg could have been higher were it not for a 20-minute tornado

warning issued by the National Weather Service that gave the residents time to take refuge.

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See these 2007 Tornado Recovery

Advisories for information about

sheltering from tornadoes:

Storm Shelters: Selecting Design 

Criteria (Tornado RA2)

Residential Sheltering: In-Residence

and Stand-Alone Shelters(Tornado

RA3)

●

●

MAY 2007 TORNADO RECOVERY ADVISORY FEMA DR-1699-RA1

Tornado Risks and Hazards in the 

Midwest United States

The Fujita Scale categorizes tornado severity based on

observed damage. The six-step scale ranges from F0

(light damage) to F5 (incredible damage). Since February

2007, the National Weather Service has used the

Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale). This new scale ranges

from EF0 to EF5. See http://www.spc.noaa.gov/efscale/

for further information on the EF Scale.

Fujita Scale EF Scale

Fujita

Scale

3-Second Gust

Speed (mph) EF Scale

3-Second Gust

Speed (mph)

F0 45–78 EF0 65–85

F1 79–117 EF1 86–109

F2 118–161 EF2 110–137

F3 162–209 EF3 138–167

F4 210–261 EF4 168–199

F5 262–317 EF5 200–234

Brace Gable End Roof 

Framing 

PROTECTING YOUR PROPERTY FROM HIGH WINDS

Brace Gable End Roof Framing April 2008 Page 1 of 2

Gable end roofs are more susceptible to

damage from high winds than hip or flat roofs.

The gable end presents a large, flat obstacle to

the wind and receives its full force. If the framing 

of the gable end and the entire roof is not 

adequately braced to resist the wind, the roof

can fail. Roof failures, especially in unbraced 

gable roofs, are a common cause of major 

damage to structures and their contents in high

winds. 

If your property has a gable roof, check to see 

whether the roof framing is braced. The top 

figure shows a cutaway view of an unbraced

gable end roof. This is a truss roof, but some

gable end roofs are constructed with rafters 

rather than trusses. Both types should be braced

as shown in the bottom figure. If you are unsure

whether your gable end roof is adequately

braced, check with your local building

department. After inspecting your roof framing, a 

building official can tell you whether bracing is

required and if so, how it should be added. 

BENEFITS OF UTILIZING THIS MITIGATION

STRATEGY

Helps to prevent roof failure, which can lead

to major damage of a structure and its 

contents

Helps to prevent injuries to occupants

TIPS 

Keep these points in mind if you have bracing 

added to a gable end roof: 

•

•

•

Bracing can be added fairly easily, but you should have a contractor perform the work to make sure that

the bracing is properly designed and attached. 

• If you have a building official inspect your roof framing, ask about other changes you may be able to make

to your property to protect it from high winds. 
Building Science

The Building Science Branch develops and produces 

technical guidance and tools focused on fostering a 

disaster-resilient built environment. Located within the 

FEMA Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration’s 

(FIMA) Risk Reduction Division, the Building Science 

Branch supports FIMA’s mission to reduce risk to life and 

property by providing state-of-the-art technical hazard mitigation solutions for buildings. Mitigation efforts 

provide value to the American people by creating safer 

communities and reducing loss of life and property. 

Building Science publications provide strategies for all 

types of hazards. This brochure provides readers with a 

quick summary of publications that will help them prepare for and mitigate against wind hazards.

Wind Hazard

Severe wind storms often directly damage roofs, windows, and exterior finishes. The impact that wind has on 

the envelope of a building can also impact the superstructure of the building, and breaches in a building 

envelope frequently contribute to additional damages. 

Debris such as signs, roofing material, and other small 

items can also become flying missiles during wind 

events, which can pose a danger to your home or the 

safety of you and your family.

Proper design and construction provides resilient buildings that resist damages from hurricane-force winds and 

other high-wind events. 

Building Science Publications

Catalog of FEMA Building Science 

Branch Wind, Flood, and Wildfire 

Publications, Training Courses, and 

Workshops (FEMA P-787, Third 

Edition, November 2011)

E, C, CO, H, : 4 ¤

This catalog contains a listing with 

brief descriptions of publications, 

courses and workshops developed by the Building 

Science Branch of FEMA’s Federal Insurance and 

Mitigation Administration. 

https://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=3184

Taking Shelter From the Storm: 

Building a Safe Room For Your Home 

or Small Business (FEMA 320 – 

Third Edition, August 2008)

E, C, CO, H, : 4 ¤

FEMA 320, now in its third edition, 

helps home or small business owners 

assess their risk and determine the 

best type of safe room for their needs. The publication 

provides designs for basement, in-ground, and aboveground safe rooms. Construction plans and specifications 

are available. 

https://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1536

Building Science for 

Disaster-Resilient Communities

Flood/Wind Building Science Helpline

FEMA-Buildingsciencehelp@dhs.gov • 1-866-927-2104

E (Engineers) / C (Contractors) / CO (Community Officials) 

/ H (Homeowners) 

: (Available Online) 4 (Available Print) ¤ (Available CD)

To download publications, please visit the FEMA Library at: 

http://www.fema.gov/library.

To order publications please call 1-800-480-2520 or fax 

240-699-0525 (Monday − Friday, 8:00 a.m. − 5:00 p.m., EST) 

or email your request to FEMA-Publications-Warehouse@

dhs.gov. Please provide the title, publication number, and 

quantity of each publication, along with your name, address, 

zip code, and daytime telephone number.