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.

[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.

[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]

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.

[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

[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.

[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...

[DoctorTaco]

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

[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.

[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.

[Larry OKC]

Underground if you can.
Lowest level of the building.
Innermost, smallest room.

[OKCTalker]

A Bug-Out Bag is a good idea, and you can find lots of suggestions online for what to put in them. I keep mine in a closet where we shelter, ready to grab & run if that’s a better plan as storms develop. Dog leash, flashlights (don’t forget to check your batteries!), phone chargers, phone battery sleds, gloves, plastic tarp, duct tape, first aid kit, rain/wind shells, rope, energy bars, etc. If storms are popping up, we change into (or set out) jeans and study shoes. The bicycle helmets are in the garage, steps from our closet. When in the shelter, send a text to a few friends telling them where you are in case you get buried or injured.

Establish two “rally points,” or places where family members will reunite after a devastating storm. One is at the curb outside our front door, but if the neighborhood is destroyed then we meet at the nearby fire station. Buy a tool that will shut off water & gas meters. Here’s one for $9.97: Orbit Emergency Gas and Water Shutoff Tool-26097 at The Home Depot

And don’t forget either a weather radio or weather radio smartphone app.

[MikeLucky]

A Bug-Out Bag is a good idea, and you can find lots of suggestions online for what to put in them. I keep mine in a closet where we shelter, ready to grab & run if that’s a better plan as storms develop. Dog leash, flashlights (don’t forget to check your batteries!), phone chargers, phone battery sleds, gloves, plastic tarp, duct tape, first aid kit, rain/wind shells, rope, energy bars, etc. If storms are popping up, we change into (or set out) jeans and study shoes.

That almost sounds more like a "stalker" bag.... just sayin'

[MadMonk]

I completely understand newbies' anxiety when it comes to tornadoes. I was 12 when we moved to OK (Del City) years and years ago and my first encounter scared the crap out of me. Looking back, it's kind of funny because it was a really small one and was going away from me. It was the first time I'd ever seen anything like that. I quickly learned what a wall cloud was! While at work in a downtown tower a few years ago, we had tornado alarms going off and you could tell the locals from the out-of-towners by who was standing at the windows looking for the funnel cloud and who was hiding in the stairwells.

Educating yourself on the weather terminology used on TV and understanding what's going on will go a long way to easing your mind during tornado season. Find where you are on a radar map and keep an eye on it during a storm where tornadoes are likely. If things look like they might get hairy, you have a good idea of where the storm is and where it's heading and can bug out somewhere safe if you leave early enough, but if you wait until the sirens start blaring, thats probably be a bit late to start driving away. I'm fortunate to have had a shelter since 2000, but I've only felt the need to get into it once. I was lucky that it passed me by without damage; but it's nice to have for peace of mind.

[TaoMaas]

We shot an interview with someone whose house had been badly hit by a tornado. It tore most of the roof off the house and threw their ski boat from the front yard into the backyard. It had also leveled the house next door. Since folks are always saying to get in the bathroom in the event of a tornado, we asked if we could see the bathroom. It was entirely unhurt. There was a little bit of mud that had blown in around the door, but otherwise it was fine. The hand towels were still hanging on the rack and all their stuff was still on the top of the vanity. If you were inside that bathroom, you would have no idea how much destruction had occured to the rest of the house. It was kinda amazing.

[TaoMaas]

To the OP: Keep in mind that most tornados have a fairly small footprint. Even during the May 3rd tornado, houses that were just a few blocks away from the direct path of the tornado were relatively unharmed.

[OKCTalker]

That almost sounds more like a "stalker" bag.... just sayin'

No - I've got one of those too. It's got a fake nose, mustache & glasses, trench coat...

[OKCRT]

No - I've got one of those too. It's got a fake nose, mustache & glasses, trench coat...

AND if all else fails...


Then stick your head between your legs and kiss your azz goodbye!


I do remember Gary E. telling people in the path of the May 3rd tornado to get someplace underground because that badboy was taking everything right down to the foundation.

[LocoAko]

The meteorologist in me is cringing at a lot of the advice being given in this thread (but I'm from the other side of it, the screaming heads apparently, and still new to the region, so meh. lol). Social scientists are frantically studying human behavior to learn how to have people NOT look outside to see the tornado for themselves. It is a huge problem and while most people who do so will be lucky and be fine, the best idea really is to take shelter immediately when a tornado warning is issued -- the advice on how to actually shelter is great. Furthermore not every tornado will have a prominent hook echo on radar (though most of the huge tornadoes probably will) so I really don't think it is wise to look at the radar data being shown on TV and take the matter into your own hands. I mean no confrontation by any of this, but working with scientists who have dedicated their lives to getting people to do exactly the opposite of the advice being given and then reading this is a tad discouraging, lol.