"""This was my father's house... he didn't make it."""

Nevill, Justin B.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/103750 Copy

Description

Title

"""This was my father's house... he didn't make it."""

Author(s)

Nevill, Justin B.

Issue Date

2019

Keyword(s)

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Abstract

"She was an engineer. When I explained that I was taking photographs of the tornado damage for research purposes — working to minimize the impact of future tornadoes — she understood and agreed to let me photograph the house. That was when she explained that her father had been killed when the house collapse. It was my first survey of tornado damage. It was the first time I had witnessed the destruction first-hand. It is easy for researchers to forget the impact of their work, to forget what is important. This also true for those of us working with the impact of natural hazards. My research group gathers ""perishable data"" following the impact of tornadoes because the damage is the best measure we have of the tornado. We use this data to estimate the severity of the tornado, to predict how topography and obstructions influence the severity of the damage, and to determine if specific physical features of a building are a benefit or a risk. When we are there, we also get a strong reminder that improving the lives of real people must be our ultimate goal."

Type of Resource

• text
• other
• image

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/103750

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2019 Justin B. Nevill

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