Thirteen years after a tornado ripped through Joplin, Mo., killing 161, destroying a large medical center, and leveling schools, houses and businesses, the International Code Council (ICC) has for the first time added a section on tornado resilience to the 2024 version of the International Building Code. 

The new provisions in ASCE 7, Chapter 32, Tornado Loads, include requirements for critical structures such as hospitals and schools located in tornado-prone regions primarily east of the Continental Divide to withstand wind speeds that correspond approximately to the most commonly occurring EFO to EF2-rated tornadoes.