Summary of Progress on 

Implementation of 

Recommendations from 

the Joplin Tornado 

Investigation

August 30, 2018

NCST Advisory 

Committee Meeting

Long Phan

Leader, Structures Group

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NOTE – Summaries of the 

recommendations are 

included in the following 

slides for context. The 

complete recommendations 

are available in the final 

report of the NIST Technical 

Investigation of the Joplin 

Tornado, at 

https://dx.doi.org/10.6028/

NIST.NCSTAR.3
NIST Joplin Tornado Investigation

• 16 recommendations for 

improving:

• Tornado hazard characterization

• How buildings and shelters are 

designed and constructed in 

tornado–prone regions

• Emergency communications that 

warn of threats from tornadoes.

http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.NCSTAR.3

The first study to include storm 

characteristics, building performance, 

emergency communication and 

human behavior - with assessment of 

the impact of each on fatalities

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List of Joplin Recommendations Hazard Characteristics Buildings, Shelters, Designated Safe Areas, and Lifelines Emergency Communicatio

n

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R # RECOMMENDATION SUMMARY

1 Development and deployment of technology to measure tornado wind fields

2 Archival of tornado event data

3 Development of tornado hazard maps

4 Improvement of EF Scale; means for continued improvement; adoption by NWS

5 Development of performance-based standards for tornado-resistant design

6 Development of performance-based tornado design methodologies

7 a) Development of tornado shelter standard for existing buildings; 

b) Installation of tornado shelters in more buildings in tornado-prone regions

8 Development of guidelines for public tornado sheltering strategies

9 Development of guidelines for selection of best available refuge areas 

10 Prohibition of aggregate roof coverings and ballast in tornado-prone regions

11 Development of requirements for enclosures of egress systems in critical facilities

12 a) Development of tornado vulnerability assessment guidelines for critical facilities;

b) Performance of vulnerability assessments by critical facilities in tornado-prone

13 Development of codes, standards, and guidance for emergency communications; 

Development of joint plan by emergency mgrs/media/nws for consistent alerts

14 Deployment of “push” technologies for transmission of emergency information

15 Research to identify factors to enhance public perception of personal risk

16 Develop technology for real-time, spatially-resolved tornado threat information
R # RECOMMENDATION SUMMARY PROGRESS UPDATES IN THIS BRIEFING

1 Development and deployment of technology to measure tornado wind fields

2 Archival of tornado event data

3 Development of tornado hazard maps

4 Improvement of EF Scale; means for continued improvement; adoption by NWS

5 Development of performance-based standards for tornado-resistant design

6 Development of performance-based tornado design methodologies

7 a) Development of tornado shelter standard for existing buildings; 

b) Installation of tornado shelters in more buildings in tornado-prone regions

8 Development of guidelines for public tornado sheltering strategies

9 Development of guidelines for selection of best available refuge areas 

10 Prohibition of aggregate roof coverings and ballast in tornado-prone regions

11 Development of requirements for enclosures of egress systems in critical facilities

12 a) Development of tornado vulnerability assessment guidelines for critical facilities;

b) Performance of vulnerability assessments by critical facilities in tornado-prone

13 Development of codes, standards, and guidance for emergency communications; 

Development of joint plan by emergency mgrs/media/nws for consistent alerts

14 Deployment of “push” technologies for transmission of emergency information

15 Research to identify factors to enhance public perception of personal risk

16 Develop technology for real-time, spatially-resolved tornado threat information

List of Joplin Recommendations Hazard Characteristics Buildings, Shelters, Designated Safe Areas, and Lifelines Emergency Communicatio

n

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Highlights of Implementation Activities 

and Successes since 2/18 Meeting

• ASCE/SEI/AMS Standard on Wind Speed Estimation in Tornadoes and 

Other Windstorms Standard Committee is well into subcommittee 

balloting of draft chapters (R2 and R4)

• Continued significant progress on development of tornado hazard 

maps, with workshop to roll out of draft maps planned for January 15, 

2019 (R3)

• NIST is leading the new ASCE Tornado Task Committee charged with 

developing tornado load provisions for ASCE 7-22 (R5 and R6)

• Published NIST Technical Note on alerting guidance (R13)

• Proposed incorporation of guidance on public alerts and warnings into 

NFPA 1600 (R13)

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R&D Project on Tornado Loading (1/2)

Award under NIST Disaster Resilience Research Grants 

Program1, announced August 2017, is informing development 

of wind load design methods.

Development of Tornado Design Criteria for Buildings and 

Shelters Subject to Tornado Induced Loads (ARA, Inc.)

• Experimental and modeling research to develop tornado loading criteria 

• Experimental work uses the University of Western Ontario’s atmospheric 

boundary layer wind tunnel to study effect of tornado vertical wind and 

Tornado Simulator to study effect of tornado size relative to building size 

and atmospheric pressure change (APC) on internal wind pressures.

• Modeling work aims to capture key insights on tornado-induced 

pressures (including APC) and to develop (1) fragilities that relate 

tornado wind speed to the probability of damage and (2) recommended 

loads for tornado-resistant design.

1 https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2017/08/nist-funds-12-projects-make-communities-more-resilient-disasters 6
R&D Project on Tornado Loading (2/2)

• Wind tunnel and tornado simulator experiments completed

• Analysis of data is underway to 

- Validate and update tornado wind load 

model

- Develop fragility models

- Perform sensitivity studies

- Develop recommendations for 

estimation of tornado loads

All Images © 2018 WindEEE Research Institute. Used with Permission.

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