>>2761963If you get a direct hit from a bad tornado I don't think I'd want to really be in an earthen home. But idk if it's ever been tested really. I'd want to be in a concrete reinforced home with deep pylons. In the Midwestern part of tornado alley they just build cellars and basements. In the SE part the water table is too high for that.
Tornados do happen but they aren't like a hurricane... in gulf areas you are pretty much guaranteed to get hit by at least a few bad ones in your lifetime. Most people never see a direct hit from a tornado. Hurricanes are a much bigger worry. Once you get off the immediate coast the biggest worry is trees getting blown down on top of your house or the roof getting ripped off. Extended power loss. Then of course the flooding issue- they drop so much rain. Even if you don't have to worry about storm surge they can cause bad flooding.
I do however think more emphasis should be on running power distribution underground in these areas though. They are just fairly rural areas and it becomes sort of a diminish returns thing I guess.