A slew of news stories appeared over the weekend over those killed in recent tornadoes. While the majority of those killed were in what the articles call mobile homes, the distinction is not always made between pre- HUD code mobile homes and manufactured homes, or as to whether the homes were properly installed and secured. Eight of the 13 people killed in Southern Indiana tornadoes March 2 were in mobile homes and citing a study published in scientific journal Natural Hazards, The Courier Journal reported Sunday that while mobile homes make up 16 percent of Indiana Housing, 93 percent of the tornado deaths in the state from 1996 to 2007 were in mobile homes. The article also notes the Manufactured Housing Institute contends that mobile homes built after 1976 are as safe as conventional housing when more stringent federal regulations went into effect. However, in Indiana, newly built mobile homes must withstand winds only up to 90 mph, lower than the 175 mph winds of a recent tornado. The article also notes mobile homes can be made safer with the addition of tie-down straps and some localities, such as Evansville, require them.

(Image Credit: 2008 photo by JOE M500 via Wikimedia Commons)