Sheltering from the Storm: Evaluating Tornado Shelters as a Mitigation Investment

On May 27, 1997, an F5 tornado struck the town of Jarrell, Texas, near Austin. The slow-moving tornado devastated an entire subdivision, wiping homes clean off their foundations. The casualty figures, 27 dead and 12 injured, indicate this tornado’s deadly power: More than two out of every three casualties were deaths. Tornadoes generally injure more persons than they kill: Since 1950, tornadoes have injured 81,000 and killed 4,900, or about 16 injuries per fatality. A tornado with more fatalities than injures is rare, and the difference of 15 more fatalities than injuries in the Jarrell tornado is the largest difference in any tornado since 1900. There was almost no escape for the unfortunate residents caught in the path of this tornado.