About TMMC
Purpose and Goals
The ultimate goal of TMMC is to minimize losses from natural and technological hazards to Tennesseans and their families, and its purpose is basically fivefold:
- To conduct multidisciplinary multihazard mitigation research that involves participants from other colleges and universities;
- To study the causes and effects of natural, technological and terrorist hazards;
- To develop multihazard mitigation technologies that, when implemented, will reduce losses for Tennesseans;
- To assist building code official interpretation of the International Building Code and other complex standards related to such hazards, and
- To provide assistance to Tennesseans when implementing mitigation technologies in their homes and businesses.
Background and Need
Since 1800, Tennessee has experienced over 450 disasters. They include:
- The 1865 Sultana riverboat explosion near Memphis that killed over 1,800 people;
- The 1918 train wreck in Nashville that killed 101 and injured 171;
- An East Tennessee earthquake in 1973 that damaged houses and UT hospital;
- The 1974 East Tennessee tornado outbreak where 45 people died and 600 were injured;
- A tornado in 1999 that severely damaged downtown Clarksville;
- A tornado in 2003 that killed 8 people in Mossy Grove.
In an average year, Tennesseans suffer losses in excess of $20 million from natural and technological hazards. In some years these losses have exceeded this amount by an order of magnitude. For example, in 1994 Tennesseans suffered losses from natural hazards in excess of $74 million.