ASCE 7-22 introduced tornado-specific load provisions for certain Risk Category III and IV buildings; however, most existing buildings were not designed specifically for tornado loading.
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Years of Combined Building Damage Experience
The "Century of Experience" Advantage
We do not stop at the damage that is easiest to see. With more than 100 years of combined building and forensic engineering experience, our team recognizes the structural patterns tornadoes leave behind, from envelope breaches and failed connections to displaced loads and progressive damage. We trace those patterns through the building to identify hidden conditions that a surface-level inspection may miss.
Tornado Damage Evaluation
Clarity After the Storm
Independent engineering answers for safety, repair, recovery, and insurance decisions.
Everest BCG performs independent tornado damage evaluations that examine a structure from the roof to the foundation and identify what was compromised, what caused it, and what needs to be stabilized, repaired, replaced, or investigated further before the building is reoccupied or repairs move forward.
Everest BCG evaluates the structure but does not bid or perform the repairs. Our fee does not change based on what we find, which removes the financial incentive to expand or minimize the recommended scope.
Independent evaluation
Available nationwide
No repair conflict
How Tornadoes Damage Buildings
How Tornado Forces Compromise a Structure
A tornado can load a building in ways its original design may not have specifically accounted for.
The rotating wind field strikes from several directions at once, applying uplift, lateral, and torsional forces that shift rapidly within seconds. Most buildings are designed for steady straight-line wind, not these transient demands, so connections, roof framing, and load-transfer elements can be pushed past their capacity even where the exterior looks largely intact.
Damage frequently begins at the envelope. Once an opening forms, the building can pressurize internally, adding uplift on the roof from the inside while wind pulls from the outside. For repair planning, the envelope breach has to be traced, not patched over.
An intact-looking exterior does not confirm the structure is sound, and nearby buildings say little about your own load path.
We follow the load path from roof framing through walls, diaphragms, and foundation to locate where it weakened or broke.
We separate tornado damage from deferred maintenance, corrosion, settlement, construction deficiencies, and secondary debris impact.
When to Schedule
When to Schedule a Tornado Damage Evaluation
Schedule an evaluation when safety, claim decisions, liability, or repair scope depends on knowing the structure's true condition.
Before Re-Entering a Damaged Building
You need to know whether the structure is safe to occupy, what is compromised, and what must be stabilized before anyone goes back in or work begins.
Supporting an Insurance Claim
Your claim needs independent structural analysis that separates tornado damage from pre-existing conditions, in a format suitable for carrier and adjuster review.
Challenging a Denied or Underpaid Claim
A carrier has disputed the extent of damage, and you need a neutral engineering account of what the storm did to the structure.
Checking a Repair Scope Before You Commit
Before signing off on a repair, you want confirmation that the proposed scope matches the actual structural damage, addressing hidden failures without including work the building does not need.
Who It Is For
Evidence-Based Evaluation Creates Certainty for Every Party With Something at Stake
The same forensic record can support repair planning, claim decisions, legal strategy, and reconstruction grounded in evidence.
Plain-language answers about what the tornado did to your building, so you can make safety and repair decisions with confidence and avoid paying for work that misses the real problem.
ConfidenceIndependent structural analysis and clear documentation for claim disputes and litigation, with expert engagement available through trial.
Case supportA neutral evaluation that separates tornado damage from pre-existing conditions and direct wind from debris impact, supporting well-grounded claim decisions.
Claim clarityAn objective basis for the repair scope, so reconstruction is grounded in what was structurally compromised and your work is backed by an independent record.
Scope control
What the Evaluation Covers
From Structural Assessment to Cause Determination
Every evaluation connects visible conditions to the engineering question underneath: what failed, how far it progressed, and what the repair has to address.
Cause
Extent
Load path
Structural damage
Structural Damage Assessment
A roof-to-foundation evaluation of the envelope, framing, connections, diaphragms, and foundation to determine what was compromised, how severely, and what it means for safety and repairability.
Failure mechanism
Load-Path and Failure Analysis
We follow the structural load path to find where failure started and how it progressed. Establishing the mechanism, rather than the appearance, tells your contractor whether a component can be repaired or has to be replaced.
Cause determination
Cause Determination
A clear separation of tornado-caused damage from pre-existing conditions, and direct wind damage from secondary debris impact, documented for review and dispute resolution.
Expert engagement
Expert Engineering & Litigation Support
Dr. Al-Lebban's forensic background supports attorneys and carriers with structural analysis, defensible documentation, and expert engagement through review, deposition, and trial.
Who Leads the Evaluation
Failure Mechanism, Progression, and Repair Meaning
Evaluating tornado damage requires an understanding of how structural failures begin, spread, and affect the remaining building system.
Dr. Yasir Al-Lebban, PhD, P.E., works from the investigation of real building failures and storm-damage patterns, identifying the failure mechanism, judging how far damage has progressed, and determining what that means for repair.
He holds a PhD in Structural Engineering, is a licensed Professional Engineer, serves as a voting member of multiple American Concrete Institute committees, and has authored peer-reviewed technical publications.
Structural analysis
Storm damage patterns
Code-compliance evaluation
Intake & Scope
Tell us about the property and what the tornado did, whether that is roof loss, a partial collapse, suspected movement, or a contested claim. We define the scope, confirm access, and prioritize matters involving safety or a claim deadline.
On-Site Investigation
We evaluate the structure on site, documenting the envelope, load path, connections, and damage pattern with measurements and labeled photographs, and we record conditions so the findings can be interpreted in context later.
Engineering Analysis
We compare the observed damage against how the structure should respond to tornado loading, accounting for the irregular nature of these events so a building is not wrongly assumed to have escaped significant forces.
Report & Expert Support
You receive a forensic report signed by a licensed engineer covering what was evaluated, what was found, the cause and extent of damage, and what should be stabilized, repaired, replaced, or investigated further.
Engineering vs. Inspection
How an Engineering Evaluation Differs From an Inspection
A standard storm inspection documents visible conditions. A forensic tornado evaluation adds engineering analysis of what failed, how far the damage extends, whether it is structural, and what the repair has to address.
Inspection vs. Engineering Logic
Structural analysis
Visible Conditions vs. Failure Path
A standard inspection documents visible conditions such as roof and siding damage. A forensic engineering evaluation analyzes where failure started in the load path and how it progressed.
Conditions We Investigate
Conditions We Investigate After a Tornado
We evaluate the structural conditions that most often determine whether a building can be occupied, repaired, rebuilt, or defended in a claim.
Envelope Breach and Internal Pressure
When a tornado opens a roof, door, window, or garage door, internal pressure can combine with exterior uplift to overload the roof framing. We evaluate how far that loading carried into the structure.
Hidden Roof-to-Wall Connection Damage
Uplift commonly weakens or fails the connections tying the roof to the walls, sometimes with little visible damage. We confirm whether that connection is intact before re-roofing covers it up.
Wall Racking and Framing Damage
Lateral and torsional forces can rack walls and distress framing in a building that still appears plumb. We check framing, connections, and alignment to establish whether the wall is sound.
Debris Impact Versus Wind Failure
High-velocity debris can breach the envelope and damage structure behind it. We separate debris impact from direct wind failure, which often determines how the damage is categorized in a claim.
Partial Collapse and Spreading Failure
Where one failure has led to partial collapse, we assess stability, how far the damage has progressed, and the sequence of failure to guide stabilization, demolition, or reconstruction.
Disputed Tornado Damage Claims
When a carrier contests how much of the damage is storm-related, we provide an independent structural account, with expert engagement available through trial.
What is a tornado damage evaluation?
It is a forensic engineering investigation of how a tornado affected a structure. Rather than cataloging visible damage, our engineer examines the envelope, load path, connections, and damage pattern to determine what was structurally compromised, then documents it in a report you can act on and share with a contractor, carrier, or attorney.
Could there be structural damage I cannot see?
Often, yes. Tornado damage is highly localized, and a failed connection can be hidden behind finishes or show up some distance from where the load actually broke. An intact exterior does not confirm the load path is sound, which is the reason a structural evaluation is worth doing before repairs proceed.
Do you perform the repairs you recommend?
No. We only evaluate. Because we are not bidding the repair, our recommendations are not influenced by the value of the repair work.
Can you help with a denied or underpaid claim?
Yes. We provide independent structural analysis that separates tornado damage from pre-existing conditions and documents the cause and extent of damage, in a format suitable for negotiation, appraisal, and litigation. Dr. Al-Lebban is available for expert engagement.
Can you serve as an expert witness?
Yes. Dr. Al-Lebban supports attorneys and insurers with engineering analysis and expert engagement through review, deposition, and trial.
What does an evaluation cost?
It depends on the size and condition of the structure, the extent of damage, site access, and whether expert engagement is needed. The fastest way to get an accurate estimate is to describe the property and what the tornado did.
Closing CTA
Understand the Damage Before You Rebuild
Tornado damage is not always visible, and a repair built on the wrong assumptions can leave a real problem in place. An independent tornado damage evaluation tells you what was actually compromised, so your stabilization, repair, and claim decisions rest on the structure's true condition.
Independent
PhD-led
Defensible documentation