AnnistonStar reports in a piece written by the editorial board of the paper, that conventional wisdom maintains site-built homes of bricks and mortar withstand the effects of a tornado better than manufactured housing. However, the National Weather Service (NWS) has determined where 166 of the 248 Alabama victims died during the April 27, 2011 twister that ravaged the state. Sixty-five percent died in site-built-homes, but only 29 percent died in manufactured housing. Sherry Norris, executive director of the Alabama Manufactured Housing Association, says, “The stats are changing in our favor.” Jim Sloan of the Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission added, “Manufactured homes stood up at least as well as site-built homes.” The editorial says 15 percent of housing in Alabama is manufactured housing, the fourth highest percentage of all the states, and commends the MH industry for improving the construction of standards of manufactured homes. While noting there may be no place to hide during an EF-4 or EF-5 force tornado, the board insists that stronger structures provide the best protection.
