DOI: 10.17603/ds2-d377-qm08
title: Remote data collection for historic buildings damaged by the Nashville tornadoes in March 2020, in Documenting historic buildings damaged by the Nashville tornadoes in March 2020

description: The 2020 Nashville Tornado outbreak featured a long-track EF3 tornado that carved a 60-mile path through Nashville, reaching the highest windspeed of 165 mph in Cookeville. It struck downtown Nashville, presenting an opportunity to study the structural vulnerability of older, unreinforced masonry buildings in the downtown area. This study culminated in a dataset documenting 133 older URM buildings located within the perimeter of the tornado's contour in the Nashville metropolitan area. The dataset was compiled through post-disaster field investigations and archival research, focusing on the original construction materials and methods, any retrofits, and the social use of these historic structures.
This research focuses on addressing the significant data gap regarding the performance of historic structures under tornado wind loading. Current knowledge often relies on theoretical vulnerability assessments, but detailed, empirical datasets suitable for quantitative analysis are scarce. This deficiency actively impedes the development of effective, evidence-based preservation and retrofitting strategies for our shared cultural heritage. This dataset helps us find the weak spots in old brick buildings (URM). We use this information to design more effective ways to maintain and protect these buildings for the future. The ultimate goal is to help local communities become better prepared for the next major storm.

description: This dataset provides a granular quantitative record of the performance of historically significant buildings and cultural heritage structures impacted by the 2020 Nashville tornado outbreak. The system under investigation is the collection of historic structures, primarily located in the Nashville metropolitan area, that fell within the contours of the tornado. The core research problem this data helps to solve is the significant data gap concerning the performance of historic structures under extreme wind loading. Current knowledge often relies on theoretical vulnerability assessments, but detailed, empirical datasets suitable for quantitative analysis are scarce. This deficiency actively impedes the development of practical, evidence-based preservation and retrofitting strategies for our shared cultural heritage.

This resource, titled Historic buildings affected by the 3 March 2020 Nashville Tornadoes, addresses this by introducing a new, publicly accessible dataset based on the PRJ-2723 FAST-1 Dataset. The data was compiled through a remote-only reconnaissance methodology, meticulously identifying and assessing 133 historic buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) within the tornado’s path.

The dataset contains 230 attributes for each building, encompassing:
General information (e.g., location, tornado name, EF rating).
Building characteristics (e.g., year built, occupancy, number of stories).
Structural details (e.g., construction type, wall systems, foundation type).
Damage assessment (e.g., overall damage status, wind damage rating, directional damage details).
Historic significance (e.g., risk category, listing year, property values).
Recovery State (e.g., demolition state)

A key feature is the inclusion of an uncertainty value (_unc) for each data point, which transparently reports the confidence level of the observation given the remote-only data collection approach. This feature is important for maintaining data quality and transparency.

This dataset is a crucial resource for understanding the vulnerability of the built environment, particularly heritage assets, to extreme wind events and disasters.