Moore City Council Votes On New Building Codes

The Moore city council will vote Monday night on new building codes that would be some of the strictest in the nation.

Stan Drake, the assistant city manager of Moore said new codes would make homes strong enough to survive an F2 or F3 tornado.

"We do feel like people will be safer and there will be less damage if it happens again," Drake said.

Marvin Haworth has been in the construction business since 1972. He has helped rebuild after three Moore tornados now.

Right now, they're starting on one new home a week, but if the city council passes the new ordinance, he will have to start doing things differently: changing nailing patterns, using hurricane clips, putting OSB board on the entire perimeter of the house and placing roofing rafters closer together. Garage doors will also have to withstand a 135 mph wind, which Haworth said is key, because once the garage door goes the whole house is likely next.

2/21/2014 Related Story: Safety Of Moore School Structures Criticized

"You have 135 mile wind going into it and it just explodes the garage, and once the garage is gone, there's a gaping hole in the roof and the wind goes into the roof and takes the roof off, and it's an ongoing process of destroying your home."

Drake said the new codes will be the strictest in the state and will reinforce every part of the structure, from the concrete slab to the top of the roof.

"We felt obligated to do something after the second F5 hit Moore," he said.

Drake said the cost of the reinforcements will be about a dollar more a square foot, but worth it.

"We do feel like people will be safer and there will be less damage if it happens again."

Haworth said his customers seem to agree.

"The very first person who I talked to about it wants to do it, so we're going to be building her house to the new standard."

If the ordinance passes, it will take effect in 30 days.