Introduction
Seven out of ten of the deadliest tornadoes to strike Texas occurred before 1975 which was the year the Texas Disaster Act of 1975 was passed. The deadliest tornado to hit Texas was the Waco Tornado which touched down on May 11, 1953. The tornado resulted in 114 deaths, and 597 injuries. Monetary damages were about $41 million in 1953, equivalent to $476,530,561.80 in 2024. The Texas Disaster Act was intended to create a uniform disaster response across the state and help the state better prepare for future disasters. Often states and municipalities will not put proper procedures in place for natural disasters until after their residents have already suffered significant harm. Below are examples of recent positive action by municipalities in Texas to prepare their community for tornadoes.
Mitigation Plans in Georgetown, Texas
Georgetown, Texas, located 75 miles south of Waco, acknowledged that increased global temperatures may impact the extent of severe storm events globally and recognized that this may impact the city of Georgetown. Georgetown is located in Wind Zone III, indicating a particular area in which tornado winds can be as high as 200 mph. A 2016 publication by the Environmental Protection Agency titled What Climate Change Means for Texas identified climate trends that will impact the City of Georgetown. In the 2021 City of Georgetown Hazard Mitigation Plan, the city stated that wind shear increases with rising concentrations of greenhouse gases, thereforecan yielding a higher frequency of tornadoes, which in turn can result in atmospheric instability. The city of Georgetown also acknowledged that an increase in the number of tornadoes and their intensity could impact travel conditions, which could ultimately impact economic industries where transportation of goods is necessary. Thus, the city must prepare for the near certainty that tornadoes will disrupt its communities.
Based on these acknowledgments, Georgetown’s mitigation plan suggests various strategies for the city to enforce particular building codes in new construction. The goal of these regulations is to reduce impacts of natural disasters such as tornadoes. The codes include replacing the “Outdoor Warning Siren System”, developing and implementing a public education effort regarding disaster mitigation and response, implementing a tree trimming program, adopting vehicle protection during storms, and updating city plans and procedures to make communication during a disaster more efficient amongst public officials and the community.
Chapter 6, Section 6.02 of Georgetown’s Unified Development Code requires that anchorage for each manufactured or mobile home will be provided by the Manufactured Housing District to insure against tornadoes, high winds, and electrical storms. This is in accordance with the 2021 International Building Code, which Georgetown has adopted. Similar to the 2018 International Building Code which Waco, Texas adopted, individuals must ensure that the exterior walls and roofs of their buildings or residences can withstand increased wind loads.
Mitigation Plans in Waco, Texas
The deadliest tornado to hit Texas occurred in McLennan County, a county which did not publish a hazard mitigation plan until 2017, 64 years after the devastating tornado. The McLennan County Hazard Mitigation Plan was most recently updated in 2021. This plan addressed floods, droughts, wildfires, tornadoes, thunderstorms, lightning, winter storms, hail, and dam failures. Additionally, the plan set a tentative deadline for each disaster mitigation measure, such as building community safe rooms, setting burn bans, community outreach, ordinances, exercising eminent domain on properties located in identified flood hazard areas, elevating homes in flood hazard areas, and more.
At the time the McLennan County Hazard Mitigation Plan was published, Waco, a city within McLennan County, adopted the International Building Code 2015 Edition. According to Chapter 6, Art. 2, Section 6-26 of Waco’s Code of Ordinances, the city has since adopted the International Building Code, 2018 Edition. Section 1503 of the code requires residential and commercial building owners to cover their roof decks with approved roof coverings secured to any structure. The coded also requires flashings, a type of sheet metal used to waterproof a roof, to be installed to the roofs to prevent further damage from storms. Section 1504 requires building roofs and attached roof shingles to be designed for heightened wind loads to mitigate damage from tornadoes and Section 1402 requires exterior walls to be capable of withstanding heightened wind loads.
Waco Code of Ordinances, Section 6-308 establishes that any buildings or structures that do not adhere to the adopted building codes, are declared to be illegal and “shall be abated by securing, repair, removal, or demolition in accordance with the procedures set forth in this code.” Waco Code of Ordinances Section 6-313 requires the owner of a building to repair, remove or demolish the building within 30 days of ordered action from the city.
Conclusion
While these mitigation plans and building codes in Texas are a step in the right direction, these plans were not established until after its citizens had suffered through many disastrous tornado events. Municipalities should address disaster management prior to a disaster to ensure quicker responses, more efficient management of the disaster, and fewer damages for both individuals and the municipality. Anticipatory emergency response plans will result in a more productive response to a natural disaster as opposed to reactive measures.
To remain resilient through climate change, municipalities must plan for the future and prepare for increased natural disasters that will occur as a result of climate change. Human lives and local economies are at stake if natural disasters are not planned for. Municipalities that are likely to be struck by tornadoes, should follow the lead of Georgetown, and acknowledge increased risk with increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and act quickly in order to protect their residents.