Where do I go in case of a tornado?

[DoctorTaco]

Hello,

First Oklahoma spring for me and my family. I live near Crown Heights in NW OKC. My house has no basement or tornado shelter. I know that in the worst case scenario we gather in the interior bathroom and hope for the best (also there is a really nasty, spidery, mildewy crawl space as a last resort). But I gather y'all usually have plenty of warning time on a tornadic storm blowing through. Given this fact, in theory we have time to move to a safer location. Where would we go? I've heard people say that they go to Penn Square mall (about a mile from here). Is this right? What about the middle of the night? Are there any libraries/churches that are open for this purpose?

[Plutonic Panda]

I really would recommend paying the $1,500 to get an underground storm shelter. It would save you the risk of getting caught in a tornado going to a shelter. However, if you don't want to do that, I would say either Pennsquare during the day or a school gym. You could ask around and see if any of your neighbors have a storm shelter big enough to accommodate you and other family.

I know a bunch of cities are doing away with public storm shelters due to the safety hazard. The state had a rebate program and I don't know if they're going to do that again or not. But, I would either recommend an underground storm shelter or a reinforced bathroom.

I should also note, I've been through a few tornados including the F5(arguably an F6 ) that came through here awhile back and they are made worse than they really are. Most that happen here aren't really that big of a deal and you really only would have to worry if your were in a mobile home or a car. You'd be safer laying in a ditch than in a mobile home or a car. As long as your in a house attached to a foundation and in a closet or a bathroom, there is not too much to worry about unless the twister is a EF3 or above. If you take a direct hit from an EF5, that's when the party begins, you either make it or you don't, and you most likely will.

Basically though, people tend to go crazy over these tornados and make them look apocalyptic and all that, I don't buy it. As I've said, I've been through 4 of them and one was HUGE. Go look up May 3, 1999 if you don't know which one I'm referring to. If you want to play it safe though, and I would recommend being prepared as it never hurts the best time to prepare is now, just call someone and have an estimate. I believe they are in the field of $1,500 to $3,000 depending on what you get. Now, they are installed in your garage and ours seats 8 people, has TV, a bathroom, hydraulics to push to door open if there is something obstructing it, a siren(to alert people we're in there, radio, and a natural gas generator. I'm not sure how much it cost, as was here when we bought the house.

If you must go somewhere though, I'd say either a school, hospital, some neighbors house or your neighborhood might even have a public storm shelter, Pennsquare seems like an ideal place, though if your close.

[kevinpate]

I've never understood the concept of getting in a car, generally near the height of a storm, and proceeding out into traffic with numerous other folks who have also gotten into a car near the height of a storm, and in a touch of anxiety and even panic, to travel to some large, aged, wide span structure, that may, or may not, be further out from the most damaging path of a storm.

When I was a wee lad, we booked across town to a friend's in ground shelter a few times. Oh, how I detested that, though I adored Mamie and Jess (who were no holds barred the absolute best pseudo grandparents a pack of lads could ever hope for.)

If Garry E or someone shows the storm track across my roof or three either side of me, I might decide to relocate a mile or three out and wait it out. But when the folks that are pretty danged good at the tracking show a primary path more than 1/4 mile or more away, I figure I'm better off where I sit. In the event of one of the rare, rare really wide storm tracks, yeah, I'd adjust the process accordingly.

[Bunty]

I've never understood the concept of getting in a car, generally near the height of a storm, and proceeding out into traffic with numerous other folks who have also gotten into a car near the height of a storm, and in a touch of anxiety and even panic, to travel to some large, aged, wide span structure, that may, or may not, be further out from the most damaging path of a storm.

One can get an idea of the horror that suddenly erupts when you get in a car to race a tornado to shelter and the tornado wins here in story at bottom half of page: Stillwater's Friday the 13th Tornado

[flintysooner]

Stay home and take your best precautions. Roads and cars are very dangerous places.

[MikeLucky]

I have a storm shelter in my garage and I almost never use it. I have lived my entire life in Kansas or Oklahoma, so chasing/running from tornadoes is old hat for me. Here are my tips for a tornado season noob.

Despite the things that tv shows and movies portray, getting sucked up into a tornado is not only extremely unlikely, it's far from the first thing you need to worry about. Tornado injuries and deaths are almost exclusively from debris that the tornado is throwing at 100mph at you. So, with that in mind you should find an interior room that puts the most walls and barriers between you and the stuff the tornado is trying to throw at you. If it can be inside a bathtub, that's even more ideal.

But, my number one tip for being tornado ready is watching the radar and being able to understand what you are seeing yourself... rather than relying on the screaming overeager meterologists. When you see a hook echo on a radar that is coming at your location on the map, it's time to be concerned.











Oklahoma is the big leagues when it comes to severe weather. So, with that comes the best technology... but it also brings out the competitive over-hype situation in some of the local meteorologists as well. Personally I watch channel 5. I can't handle Mike Morgasm OR Gary England when it comes to coverage of a severe storm. Rick Mitchell was my favorite, but with him gone now I don't quite know how Damon Lane will be, but he seems pretty laid back so far. Either way, once you know how to read the radar you really just need to see the radar to know if it's coming your way. And, I'm always prepared for the power to go out and lose my lights and TV. If/when it does go out, I will turn on a battery operated radio and listen to the coverage while watching the radar on my smartphone. If I can't see a radar I tend to get more nervous.

And, I know it's a HUGE Okie cliche... but, for me the best way to know what is happening is to go outside and observe the conditions (EDIT: from inside the garage or under a covered patio that allows you to seek cover quickly, if necessary). Whenever a tornado is moving very close to you it is USUALLY a progression of heavy rain and high winds... then as the twister gets close you will have hail... then if it's REALLY close everything will just stop.... wind, rain, hail, all of it. It'll go very, very calm. That's when I start running for cover. When you are in the immediate proximity to the tornado, it is essentially pulling everything out of the air and sucking it up. Anyone that has been that close to a tornado will tell you that while it's completely calm, it's a very strange and eery feeling.

Personally, I think that knowing what to look for and being accountable for your own safety is empowering and removes the fear from the situation... If you sit around and listen to the weather guys scream for 3 hours then it ramps up the anxiety unnecessarily, in my opinion.

[Jim Kyle]

Oklahoma is the big leagues when it comes to severe weather. So, with that comes the best technology... but it also brings out the competitive over-hype situation in some of the local meteorologists as well. ... Either way, once you know how to read the radar you really just need to see the radar to know if it's coming your way. And, I'm always prepared for the power to go out and lose my lights and TV. If/when it does go out, I will turn on a battery operated radio and listen to the coverage while watching the radar on my smartphone. If I can't see a radar I tend to get more nervous.

And, I know it's a HUGE Okie cliche... but, for me the best way to know what is happening is to go outside and observe the conditions (EDIT: from inside the garage or under a covered patio that allows you to seek cover quickly, if necessary). Whenever a tornado is moving very close to you it is USUALLY a progression of heavy rain and high winds... then as the twister gets close you will have hail... then if it's REALLY close everything will just stop.... wind, rain, hail, all of it. It'll go very, very calm. That's when I start running for cover. When you are in the immediate proximity to the tornado, it is essentially pulling everything out of the air and sucking it up. Anyone that has been that close to a tornado will tell you that while it's completely calm, it's a very strange and eery feeling.

Personally, I think that knowing what to look for and being accountable for your own safety is empowering and removes the fear from the situation... If you sit around and listen to the weather guys scream for 3 hours then it ramps up the anxiety unnecessarily, in my opinion.

Absolutely agree with this. Almost 60 years ago I was the weather writer for the Oklahoman, and learned then how to read the radar (but the weather bureau at that time did not release images to the public, and down-played the hook echo for fear of causing panic). I've been as close as 15 feet (vertically!!!) to a funnel but it was probably no bigger than an F1. Still, it carried away the squad tent in which I and 8 other ROTC cadets were sleeping; we were all under our cots and nobody got hurt. Flying debris is by far the biggest danger.

I always go out and look at the sky; if I see rotation I begin to get concerned. Until then I try to ignore the constant screaming from the TV. I do have a weather radio to get official warnings -- and they are much calmer than the TV folk! Still, I trust my own judgment more than anything else...

[Bunty]

And, I know it's a HUGE Okie cliche... but, for me the best way to know what is happening is to go outside and observe the conditions (EDIT: from inside the garage or under a covered patio that allows you to seek cover quickly, if necessary). Whenever a tornado is moving very close to you it is USUALLY a progression of heavy rain and high winds... then as the twister gets close you will have hail... then if it's REALLY close everything will just stop.... wind, rain, hail, all of it. It'll go very, very calm. That's when I start running for cover. When you are in the immediate proximity to the tornado, it is essentially pulling everything out of the air and sucking it up. Anyone that has been that close to a tornado will tell you that while it's completely calm, it's a very strange and eery feeling.

I'll also add that it's a pretty serious sign that a tornado may be coming, if the electricity goes out at your house during a tornado warning. It could be your last warning to take cover.

[ou48A]

I'll also add that it's a pretty serious sign that a tornado may be coming, if the electricity goes out at your house during a tornado warning. It could be your last warning to take cover.

With a lot of underground utilities in newer areas I would add that if the lights are repeatedly flickering it could be a sign of something bad.
The cause of this can occur many miles away.

I have seen this more than a few times in my life and I’m surprised that the weather folks don’t give this tip out as something that very busy or distracted people could be on the look out for.

[mkjeeves]

One of the astonishing things to me during the May 3 tornado was watching the live image of it on TV tearing through power lines and my lights browning in concert with each of the flashing shorts. I live miles from where it was but I guess it would have been on us pretty quick after that had we been in the path.

[ou48A]

One of the astonishing things to me during the May 3 tornado was watching the live image of it on TV tearing through power lines and my lights browning in concert with each of the flashing shorts. I live miles from where it was but I guess it would have been on us pretty quick after that had we been in the path.

I experienced the same thing.
At the time I lived in east Norman. We lost COX cable but I quickly hooked up the rabbit ears.
I guess I need to go buy digital rabbit ears.

[Plutonic Panda]

That's what I do, when the TV says get into shelter NOW, I walk outside casually and see whats going on. :P

[kelroy55]

That's what I do, when the TV says get into shelter NOW, I walk outside casually and see whats going on. :P

ditto

[kelroy55]

Can't speak for anyone else but a nasty, spidery, mildewy crawl space might look pretty good in a tornado, plus you can probably clean it up before you need it.

[Anonymous.]

Everyone above has already covered all the points.


Stay home and take the time to understand what is going on, even if a storm is not approaching you, anything coming towards the metro from the West will be covered almost non-stop with helicopter, ground, and radar streams on multiple channels of TV, internet, and social media.

Listen to the terminology and watch the radars. The major tv networks pin point to actual neighborhood streets in Hi-Def radar scans. This technology is almost exclusive to Oklahoma TV stations. So when you see a hook-echo, like the user above posted helpful images of, near your area - then hunker down.


Being hit by a tornado is extremely rare, and dying from one is even more rare. The technology and warning that exists today generally make it easy to live through tornados.

[Roger S]

Being hit by a tornado is extremely rare, and dying from one is even more rare. The technology and warning that exists today generally make it easy to live through tornados.

Yep... I've lived in Kansas & Oklahoma the entire 44 years of my life and I've seen one tornado and it was at least a mile away from me.

On the other hand every year I go without being near one raises my odds of getting hit by one.

[adaniel]

Listen to the terminology and watch the radars. The major tv networks pin point to actual neighborhood streets in Hi-Def radar scans. This technology is almost exclusive to Oklahoma TV stations. So when you see a hook-echo, like the user above posted helpful images of, near your area - then hunker down.

We really are blessed to have some amazing weather technology here. I was in Dallas last year during a tornado outbreak there and everything, from the weathermen on TV to the municipal warning system, was very amateur compared to what we have here.

All the advice here is very good. The only thing I will add is prepare early. If there looks to be severe weather coming, maybe clean out your closet so you are not rushing.

Whatever you do, don't leave your home, even when a local weatherman goes berserk and screeches "you can't survive this tornado unless you are underground or in a shelter!" I'm sure a lot of people from out of state hear this and freak out. Your home, especially a sturdy old one like those in Crown Heights, will hold up a lot better than you would think.

[MsProudSooner]

We really are blessed to have some amazing weather technology here. I was in Dallas last year during a tornado outbreak there and everything, from the weathermen on TV to the municipal warning system, was very amateur compared to what we have here.
.

My daughter lives in Dallas and she's convinced that a tornado will blow away have of Dallas some day and they will get little or no warning.

[ou48A]

My daughter lives in Dallas and she's convinced that a tornado will blow away have of Dallas some day and they will get little or no warning.

By comparison to OKC the Dallas TV coverage of tornadoes is terrible.
Also they act like anything past Denton is outside their coverage area.

[DoctorTaco]

A big thank you to everyone for all the feedback in this thread!

[kevinpate]

In the great scheme of things, texting teen drivers and the fools who won't pay for a cab after their friends left them and their keys in a pub are way more dangerous. And even so, to date the only drunk to hit any of my cars managed to careen over a curb, off a tree, cross the yard and knock my car completely out of the driveway while, thankfully, no one was in it.

[SSEiYah]

Crown Heights does not have tornados..My house was built in 1919 and is still standing

I'm in the same boat though. My house has large windows in every room including the bathroom, so really there is no place to go.

[kevinpate]

Crown Heights does not have tornados..My house was built in 1919 and is still standing

I'm in the same boat though. My house has large windows in every room including the bathroom, so really there is no place to go.

Yeah, I used to say the silly things never landed in the core of Norman, and was right, until last year. As for the window issue in an old house ...
tub, prayer, mattress on top, hold on tight.

[rezman]

Crown Heights does not have tornados..My house was built in 1919 and is still standing

I'm in the same boat though. My house has large windows in every room including the bathroom, so really there is no place to go.

Back in he mid to late 60's, a tornado did come through that area. It hopped and skipped along what was then the 39th street expressway at Penn, and touched down again just north of Crown Heights, northeast of Bishop Mcguinness High School along what is now I-44, on the south side of the highway, and then went on northeast on the north side of the highway.

Doctortaco, it's an Oklahome tradition to go outside and observe severe weather. It won't take too long beore you'll be able to tell what the weather is going to do just by paying attention to the elements outside. And the technology today gives plenty of advanced warning to take shelter.

Oh... and Penn Square is the LAST place i would try to go to take cover, unless I could get down into the basements of the big department stores there.

[RadicalModerate]

Crown Heights does not have tornados..My house was built in 1919 and is still standing

I'm in the same boat though. My house has large windows in every room including the bathroom, so really there is no place to go.

I thought that all of the houses in Crown Heights at least had crawlspaces . . .
The ones that are full of Black Widows, Brown Recluses, Scorpions and Centipedes . . . Sometimes feral snakes. =)