Effect of tornadoes on commercial structures

In the early morning hours of February 23 rd , 1998, seven large tornadoes ravaged central Florida. A total of 42 people were killed and millions of dollars of damage was done to both residential and commercial structures throughout the area. A strip mall sustained considerable damage and several structures within the commercial area were completely destroyed. Based on field observations, the paper examines the causes and sequence of structural failure throughout the strip mall. Wind speeds are estimated based on the observed damage, and compared to the meteorological data. Finally, recommendations are given that could help to eliminate or reduce similar failures in the future.