Suchergebnisse

This thesis provides a guide for the creation of plans to preserve historic properties impacted by tornadoes. Major historic preservation groups, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, have yet to provide guidance on this subject. However, NOAA states that roughly 1,000 cities are impacted by these storms every year.1 Each storm leaves chaos in its wake, and more often than not, the demolition of damaged buildings begins within a day. Because damaged historic buildings are usually more difficult and expensive to repair, individuals often demolish them in order to speed the recovery effort along. However, an organized plan which the community and its leaders have agreed upon can outline the importance of retaining the area's-built heritage. When a community loses these buildings, it loses its sense of self and history. By creating criteria for the preservation of historic buildings damaged by tornadoes, communities can retain these senses. To understand the process of recovery planning, a study of the laws, ordinances, guidance, and grants surrounding tornado disasters is illustrated in the first chapter. Once these measures have been understood, two case studies of tornado-impacted communities detail the different recovery efforts of two communities: one which prioritizes preservation and one which does not. These studies are of the April 2006 tornado in Iowa City, Iowa and the June 2011 tornado in Springfield, Massachusetts. Based on these findings, a series of recommendations are provided in chapter three. These include properly insuring historic properties, the inclusion of tornado recovery plans within historic preservation plans; the creation of action committees within historic preservation societies and committees; and the assistance of the AIA's pro bono program Communities by Design. Also included is a study of retrofitting sustainability considerations into a historic building's recovery effort in Greensburg, Kansas after their catastrophic 2007 tornado.