Tornado Hazard and Exposure Model for Canadian Communities

Tornadoes are the most disastrous, violent and lethal wind events in the world. In the United States, more than 4,000 fatalities and US$20 trillion in damages were reported between 1950-1994. Recently on September 21st 2018, an outbreak of six tornadoes devastated the Ottawa-Gatineau area in Canada causing damages that might approach US$100 million. Due to the rise in tornado events in recent years, it is expected that the insurance industries and home owners will be more interested in tornado risk mitigation. Considering this, a set of experiments will be performed at the state-of-the-art tornado simulator, the WindEEE Dome. A neighborhood in Dunrobin, Ontario, which was ripped apart by an EF-3 tornado during the recent tornado outbreak in Ottawa-Gatineau region, is chosen for the study. The developed experimental technique could then be applied to different tornado prone regions to approximate possible damages and losses.

Faculty Supervisor:

Horia Hangan

Student:

Djordje Romanic

Partner:

Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction

Discipline:

Engineering - civil

Sector:

Environmental industry

University:

Program: