Though he and his team members have yet to draft recommendations for FEMA, “some of us would like to see modifications to design [that account] for wind speeds and building height,” Tanner says. To contend with long spans, “I would advocate designs that incorporate moment-resistant connections. If one span becomes overloaded, the load is partially transferred to another span,” he adds.

Both the Walmart and Home Depot structures could have accommodated moment-resistant designs but were built with pin connections.

“When I first got down here, I was prepared for the worst, but it was so much worse than what I'd prepared for,” says Brandon Dake, president of AIA Springfield, Mo. “Now that we've had time to assess the damage, the goal is to build stronger and more sustainably and ensure those objectives drive every aspect of rebuilding.”