9712785 Selvam This project is centered on the unusual series of tornadoes that occurred on March first, 1997, which covered nine counties in Arkansas, killed twenty five persons, injured more than two hundred, and destroyed a large number of buildings. During the study data will be collected on structural damage, meteorological conditions and other pertinent characteristics of this event from all available local, state and Federal sources. From this information correlations will be established between type of damage, construction practices, codes implementation and structural design. The objectives are to assess the effectiveness, or lack of, ongoing construction practices in high risk areas, and to make available to the research community a unique data base. These findings will help develop efficient and economic extreme wind hazards mitigation procedures. ***
