60 Years of Tornadoes & Disasters Visualized
ICFs provide one of the best protections from all forms of disaster. That’s just one reason we’re so interested in seeing how those disasters affect all of us. Since we are based in Oklahoma we have always been fascinated with Tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes, and more That’s why when we came across these really cool visualizations of tornadoes we couldn’t resist sharing it. View and enjoy! And remember, big bad Mother Nature can huff and puff, but she’s not going to blow your ICF house down.
We are always looking at new ways to demonstrate the wrath of Mother Nature. Tornadoes, Wildfires, Hurricanes are all beautifully visualized by IDV Solutions. Take a few minutes to look at their visualizations, stunning maps, or even purchase one for your home. What do 56 years of tornadoes look like all at once? IDV Solutions has rendered this data from the National Atmospheric and Oceanographic Administration as a stark visualization of historic tornado risk.
As many of us know who live in Tornado Alley, the strength of a tornado is based on the Fujita Scale, updated in 2007 to the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
The Enhanced F-scale (simple table or detailed 95 page PDF) is a much more precise and robust way to assess tornado damage than the original. It classifies F0-F5 damage as calibrated by engineers and meteorologists across 28 different types of damage indicators (mainly various kinds of buildings, but also a few other structures as well as trees). The idea is that a “one size fits all” approach just doesn’t work in rating tornado damage, and that a tornado scale needs to take into account the typical strengths and weaknesses of different types of construction. This is because the same wind does different things to different kinds of structures. In the Enhanced F-scale, there will be different, customized standards for assigning any given F rating to a well built, well anchored wood-frame house compared to a garage, school, skyscraper, unanchored house, barn, factory, utility pole or other type of structure. (The Tornado FAQ, http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/index.html)
Tornado Tracks visualizes more than sixty years of data about tornadoes in the US, in a form that makes patterns in geography and time easily observable. Watch the video below to see how we visualized data from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on hundreds of tornadoes.
Each of the white trails on the map represents an individual tornado path. A path’s brightness denotes wind intensity, with brighter strokes representing more violent storms. With a combination of checkboxes and slider filters, the demo allowed users to find the most destructive tornadoes (measured by injuries, fatalities, and property damage) and the most intense tornadoes, as measured on the Enhanced Fujita Tornado Scale ─ the tool that meteorologists use to estimate tornado wind speeds.
See even more visualizations on their blog and Flickr pages.
http://uxblog.idvsolutions.com/2012/05/tornado-tracks.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/idvsolutions/sets/72157632235116237/
Purchase Prints Here – http://www.zazzle.com/tornado_tracks_poster-228922251637394602
Related Posts
Wall Parging for ICF Construction: What It Is, Why It’s Needed, and How to Do It Right
If you're working with Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs), one question always comes up: how do you finish that exposed foam between the ground and your siding? The answer is wall parging—a critical step that not only protects your build but also enhances its curb appeal.
Built to Withstand: How ICFs Play a Critical Role in Fire Resilient Construction
In 2023, Oklahoma City faced a devastating wildfire season, with 97 recorded blazes destroying 76 structures and winds reaching 50-60 MPH. Amidst this destruction, one home stood resilient: BuildBlock Founder Mike Garrett’s ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) home.
Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) for Commercial Construction: Fast, Efficient, & Cost-Effective
Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) deliver energy efficiency, disaster resilience, and cost-effectiveness all in one material, and the Sherwin-Williams retail store in Oklahoma City stands as a testament. Constructed using BuildBlock ICFs, this 4,400-square-foot facility exemplifies the advantages that ICFs offer for commercial projects.