We really need better building standards in this country.

One question that a lot of foreigners have about America is, “Can you really just punch through your walls?”

See, while other countries make their houses out of materials that last, the average modern American home seems like it’s only designed to exist for a few generations tops. While we have our reasons for this — in short, we have a lot of wood and we don’t like spending a lot of money — there are downsides to this style of production.

For example, get a strong enough storm to come through, and you might just be saying bye-bye to the top floor of your building, as this video shows:

Top floor of my daughter’s apartment building blown off just now in St Louis tornado. pic.twitter.com/2op2RXeF0n

— Martha Husain (@MarthaHusain) May 16, 2025