WERISE lab visits Poplar Bluff, Missouri, to collect data following the March 14, 2025, EF3 tornado

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/cd1e1c_22ba71cfe7cf45df84ee2f8c89831ef9/480p/mp4/file.mp4

Researchers from the WERISE Lab, led by Dr. Monica Arul and Ph.D. student Huy Pham, traveled to Poplar Bluff, Missouri, to conduct post-disaster fieldwork following the March 14 tornado outbreak. The team collected data on structural damage, soil conditions, and anchoring systems in the Harmony Hills mobile home park that sustained a direct tornado strike. Select anchoring components were brought back to Virginia Tech for further analysis, with the goal of advancing engineering strategies that improve safety and resilience in tornado-prone communities.