More information about tornadoes in Florida
Tornadoes - Florida Climate Center
And the following is from a Wind Science and Engineering Research Center Texas Tech University study of The Villages tornado that has since been moved so I can't located the complete text.
NWI Research | National Wind Institute | TTU
part of the conclusion in the study and what they suggested might need to be addressed.
1. The first tornado was classified as an EF-3 with wind speeds of 136-165 mph. The primary Damage Indicator (DI) was One Family Residences (FR12) with an observed Degree of Damage (DOD) for a majority of the structures in the range of 3-8, with a single DOD 10 demolished structure. The homes in The Villages were site-built and were less than five years old. Their construction type varied from total wood frame; CMU with wood frame roofs; to a hybrid of wood frame and light gage metal construction. Most of the homes investigated were constructed utilizing current hurricane mitigation methods and products. These included steel straps, roof clips, hurricane glazing, and hurricane-rated overhead doors. Those homes not directly under the storm vortex suffered small amounts of roofing, decking and cladding damage. In addition to these damages, those homes near or under the vortex further suffered loss of roof structure, garage doors and walls. Two mechanisms of failure were noted relating to the severely damaged homes: (a) These homes subjected to the higher speed winds, lost glazing and garage doors, became internally pressurized which produced subsequent failure of large portions of the building structure and walls; (b) Most homes observed were not constructed with traditional frame wall ―T�s‖ (I posted this in 2015 and thus not sure of this T...) and building corners which contributed to extensive loss of whole wall sections.