Tornado Rips Building 150 Live to Tell the Story
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Society -> subcategory Other.
Tornado Strikes Factory: 150 Employees Miraculously Survive
Summary:
An F-4 tornado devastated Parsons Manufacturing Co. in Illinois, leaving behind a chaotic scene of twisted steel and rubble. Remarkably, 150 employees who were inside the building at the time survived unscathed, thanks to reinforced concrete masonry shelters.Body:
In Illinois, 150 employees at Parsons Manufacturing Co. witnessed their workplace transform into a wreckage of twisted steel and debris when an F-4 tornado struck. Miraculously, they emerged without a scratch, sheltered by reinforced concrete masonry.With wind speeds reaching 207 to 260 mph, the tornado flattened the 225,000-square-foot plant and obliterated several nearby homes. "We were instructed via the public address system to head to the storm shelters in the restrooms, which are made of reinforced concrete masonry. From there, we saw steel beams and machinery flying," recounted Parsons employee Dave McClallen.
Dustin Oltman, a volunteer from the Woodford County Emergency Services & Disaster Agency, noted that the worst damage occurred in the half-mile Roanoke area where Parsons is located.
The company’s owner, Bob Parsons, took no chances after nearly losing his first business to a tornado in 1972. When he expanded across the street, he incorporated reinforced concrete masonry storm shelters into the construction, a decision that proved lifesaving three decades later. "The storm shelters saved all our lives," stated Craig Joraanstad, Parsons' human resources manager. "We hope more businesses invest in storm shelters. Concrete masonry protects lives?"150 people are alive today because of them."
Dennis Graber, an engineer with the National Concrete Masonry Association, praised the strength of concrete masonry against wind-borne debris, the primary threat during storms. "Texas Tech University’s Wind Science and Engineering Research Center conducted tests in September 2003, where reinforced concrete masonry walls withstood debris shot at 100 mph, simulating a 250-mph tornado," Graber explained.
The remarkable survival of 150 employees underscores the critical importance of storm shelters in safeguarding lives and property.
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