Living with tornadoes in Central Oklahoma

[bchris02]

First of all, I stress I mean no offense to any of the great people who live in this state and city by asking this. I am greatly moved by the response from Oklahomans to this tragedy. My thoughts and prayers are with the people affected by it. Sometimes I am hard on OKC but overall I like it alright. However, if there is one thing that is really propelling me to consider moving away it is this.

I moved back to OKC last summer after having lived in several other places around the country. Last time I lived in Oklahoma I lived in Moore in 1999 and was nearly hit by the May 3, 1999 storm. After the tornado was past where my house was I watched the tornado wreak destruction out my back window. Needless to say, it was traumatizing. When I moved back to Oklahoma to accept a great job offer, I was concerned about tornadoes but thought to myself that the possibility of another storm like what happened on May 3, 1999 happening again was slim to none. Unfortunately, I was wrong as we all know what happened on May 20th. Now they are talking about the chance of tornadoes again this week and I am scared out of my mind. It seems that if there is a 'Ground Zero' for tornado alley, it is Central Oklahoma.

My question is, to people who have lived here a long time, how do you do it without having constant anxiety from April-June every year? I've lived in hurricane, earthquake, and tornado (though much less so than OKC) prone places but nothing compares to this. Maybe its the fact that though earthquakes and hurricanes can potentially do much more damage, tornadoes are far more frequent and random you never know where they are going to strike next and how strong they will be.

Is it something I will get used to after a few years here? Once again I mean absolutely no offense to anybody by asking this.

[soonerguru]

First of all, I stress I mean no offense to any of the great people who live in this state and city by asking this. I am greatly moved by the response from Oklahomans to this tragedy. My thoughts and prayers are with the people affected by it. Sometimes I am hard on OKC but overall I like it alright. However, if there is one thing that is really propelling me to consider moving away it is this.

I moved back to OKC last summer after having lived in several other places around the country. Last time I lived in Oklahoma I lived in Moore in 1999 and was nearly hit by the May 3, 1999 storm. After the tornado was past where my house was I watched the tornado wreak destruction out my back window. Needless to say, it was traumatizing. When I moved back to Oklahoma to accept a great job offer, I was concerned about tornadoes but thought to myself that the possibility of another storm like what happened on May 3, 1999 happening again was slim to none. Unfortunately, I was wrong as we all know what happened on May 20th. Now they are talking about the chance of tornadoes again this week and I am scared out of my mind. It seems that if there is a 'Ground Zero' for tornado alley, it is Central Oklahoma.

My question is, to people who have lived here a long time, how do you do it without having constant anxiety from April-June every year? I've lived in hurricane, earthquake, and tornado (though much less so than OKC) prone places but nothing compares to this. Maybe its the fact that though earthquakes and hurricanes can potentially do much more damage, tornadoes are far more frequent and random you never know where they are going to strike next and how strong they will be.

Is it something I will get used to after a few years here? Once again I mean absolutely no offense to anybody by asking this.

This is a perfectly valid question. I'm a lifelong resident and I can say, fortunately, that I have never been directly affected by a tornado. My suggestion is to get a storm shelter for your own sense of safety.

[ljbab728]

This is a perfectly valid question. I'm a lifelong resident and I can say, fortunately, that I have never been directly affected by a tornado. My suggestion is to get a storm shelter for your own sense of safety.

Same for me. I've only seen a tornado in person once and that was back in the 50's. Although I don't currently have a shelter where I live, I have had one in most of the places I've lived and it's very comforting. I do have a tornado plan in place though.

[jn1780]

I agree with soonerguru, I would get a storm shelter. I think a lot of people in Moore/South OKC are feeling the same way as you after either getting hit or almost getting hit at least 3 times in the past 15 years.

[BBatesokc]

Far more people die from far more common random violent acts ranging from car accidents to mother nature.

Heat and drought kill more people than tornadoes. Harsh summers, winters and flooding rank higher than tornadoes too. Lightening kills almost as many people as tornadoes.

Earthquakes actually kill very few people.

I think its more psychological than anything else. If it wasn't for the over the top news coverage, it probably wouldn't rank so high in your fear factor.

Pay attention to the weather, have a shelter and/or a plan to flee the immediate area and carry insurance.

[bandnerd]

Far more people die from far more common random violent acts ranging from car accidents to mother nature.

Heat and drought kill more people than tornadoes. Harsh summers, winters and flooding rank higher than tornadoes too. Lightening kills almost as many people as tornadoes.

Earthquakes actually kill very few people.

I think its more psychological than anything else. If it wasn't for the over the top news coverage, it probably wouldn't rank so high in your fear factor.

Pay attention to the weather, have a shelter and/or a plan to flee the immediate area and carry insurance.

All of this. I have lived in OK for 32 years...my entire life...and have never even seen a tornado in person, only on TV. The last nearly 15 years of that in the OKC metro area, mind you. I know it's traumatizing, and I have had my share of tornado-themed nightmares, but it is no reason, to me, to move. Anywhere you go, some sort of natural disaster can strike. You usually know what days are going to be good for severe weather. You have some warning before hurricanes. Blizzards, ice storms, heat waves...they all have some warning time. What matters is what you do to be prepared.

[jn1780]

Far more people die from far more common random violent acts ranging from car accidents to mother nature.

Heat and drought kill more people than tornadoes. Harsh summers, winters and flooding rank higher than tornadoes too. Lightening kills almost as many people as tornadoes.

Earthquakes actually kill very few people.

I think its more psychological than anything else. If it wasn't for the over the top news coverage, it probably wouldn't rank so high in your fear factor.

Pay attention to the weather, have a shelter and/or a plan to flee the immediate area and carry insurance.

This is all true.
But, it is very hard to get past the psychological factor aside when you have seen all the destruction, not once but twice.

[bchris02]

This is all true.
But, it is very hard to get past the psychological factor aside when you have seen all the destruction, not once but twice.

I would agree. I would also agree with BBatesokc's comments if I was living anywhere in tornado alley but OKC. Like I said though, it seems like this is the ground zero for tornado alley. Tornadoes are not only far more frequent in Central Oklahoma but much stronger as well. What if you lived at the base of a volcano you knew was going to erupt every year or two? Even if the loss of life is relatively low, there is still the higher chance of losing everything.

1.3 million people live here though and have for a long time.

[venture]

Lot of good comments here. I think a lot of it comes down to understanding and respecting nature as well. I remember being a young child seeing my first tornado back north and freaking out. Then I come here and made it a point to get close (with in reason) to observe the life cycle of them.

Yes there is a fear of losing everything but I stop to think about the insurance policy on it all...and if it happens it happens. Weather is nothing to be feared. Getting a storm shelter would probably help in dealing with the anxiety, but it's also going to come down to dealing with your fear of losing any material possessions. Do what you need to protect yourself and those you care about and let the chips fall where they will with the rest.

[Bunty]

This is a perfectly valid question. I'm a lifelong resident and I can say, fortunately, that I have never been directly affected by a tornado. My suggestion is to get a storm shelter for your own sense of safety.

That's what I knew I had to have done when I built a new house in 2004. Tornadoes warnings are still stressful.

[ljbab728]

Yes there is a fear of losing everything but I stop to think about the insurance policy on it all...and if it happens it happens. Weather is nothing to be feared. Getting a storm shelter would probably help in dealing with the anxiety, but it's also going to come down to dealing with your fear of losing any material possessions. Do what you need to protect yourself and those you care about and let the chips fall where they will with the rest.

Correct, Venture. Besides having a tornado plan I also have a plan about what I need to be sure to have with me. That would be my prescriptions, my wallet, etc. I have a list of my household possessions stored along with pictures of them that I can access from any computer.

[adaniel]

I saw it posted somewhere else that people from outside Tornado Alley fear storms more than the people who live here and have to deal with it every year. The storms can be nerve racking and downright traumatizing for people not used to them, but once you have a plan of action on what to do it is not so scary. There are people who rode out this storm and are alive and well because they had a plan. Make sure you have proper insurance and have documented all of your possessions.

I also think one needs to keep it in perspective. Tornadoes are dramatic and spectacular events, but their footprint is pretty limited compared to most natural disasters. I don't want to take anything away from suffering tornado victims, but there were 13,000 homes affected by the storms, out of over a half million in metro OKC. In comparison, there were 400,000 homes damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, 450,000 in the Northridge Earthquake in LA, and 1.2 million by Katrina.

[ou48A]

I have seen about a dozen tornados in Oklahoma. I grew up in a town that was paranoid about tornadoes with good reason and as a result I spent countless hours as a kid in the basement on several dozen occasions. This made me want to learn more and face my childhood fears.

We as human’s have a great tendency to fear most what we least understand. This creates much of the anxiety.

Many people can lower their anxiety levels by become much better educated about tornado behavior and their prime conditions.
This along with taking a few basic steps to physically protect yourself, family and your home, along with good insurance is about the best that most people can do. But spiritual guidance helps many. A proactive approach is always best.

Beyond that, in many cases, what doesn’t kill you usually makes you a stronger and a more mature person who can more easily help others who maybe in need.

[Praedura]

It's an interesting question. I have pretty much zero anxiety during tornado season. A lot of that comes from having lived here my whole life. I'm so used to it, I don't even think much about it.

But there's more to it than that. My mom has also lived her whole life in Oklahoma, and she's scared to death every year this time of year. But she's a chronic worrier -- about pretty much everything, not just weather. I'm not a worrier at all. Whereas she is a very emotional person, I'm very rational and cool headed. I'm more the scientific type. I was greatly fascinated by severe weather as a kid and read up on it all the time. I feel reasonably informed, though not a weather guru by any means. Knowledge can make you more confident.

Despite having lived all my life here in tornado alley, I've only seen one in person -- the one that hit the Fairfield addition in west Edmond, about 1987 I think. Saw it briefly for about 30 seconds before it moved out of view. I was over a mile away and didn't feel any great concern while watching it. More like excitement as in "wow, I finally get to see one". Although I have never storm chased, I could have seen myself doing that. My reaction to severe weather tends to be more interest than fear.

So part of it is your natural personality. Worriers will probably never be at peace here. But becoming well informed and having contingency plans can help considerably, I'm sure.

From time to time I happen to chance into a conversation with someone who has moved here from elsewhere (e.g. California) and they express a whole lot of concern about tornadoes. My natural inclination is to tell them "Oh don't worry. It's no big deal. It's really overblown". But I don't say that because... who knows, they just might be one of the unlucky ones that has a direct encounter.

It also could be said that a lot of my calmness comes from never having had to deal with a direct hit from a tornado. I'm sure that makes a psychological effect that is hard, if not impossible, to shake. Maybe one day I'll experience one directly and my cool, rational attitude will change to something else.

[bchris02]

I also think one needs to keep it in perspective. Tornadoes are dramatic and spectacular events, but their footprint is pretty limited compared to most natural disasters. I don't want to take anything away from suffering tornado victims, but there were 13,000 homes affected by the storms, out of over a half million in metro OKC. In comparison, there were 400,000 homes damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, 450,000 in the Northridge Earthquake in LA, and 1.2 million by Katrina.

I do agree with this. However, I want to add that it will probably be decades before there is another Sandy or Katrina. Hurricane Andrew was catastrophic for Miami, but South Florida hasn't seen anything like it since. There hasn't been a devastating earthquake in SoCal since 1994.

However, another F5 tornado in OKC could happen this week. That makes it all the more scary to deal with. With a hurricane, I have days to gather essential belongings and get out of dodge. That also gives people time to mentally prepare for whats coming, which is something you cannot underestimate. With a tornado, if its anything like May 20th, you have 15 minutes and you've gone from a beautiful blue-skied day to total devastation.

I live in an apartment by the way and am a natural worrier. Getting a shelter isn't an option and part of me would rather try to move somewhere safer rather than buy a house here. Maybe I'm overblowing it but having seen May 3, 1999 and May 20, 2013, I can't help it.

[venture]

I do agree with this. However, I want to add that it will probably be decades before there is another Sandy or Katrina. Hurricane Andrew was catastrophic for Miami, but South Florida hasn't seen anything like it since. There hasn't been a devastating earthquake in SoCal since 1994.

However, another F5 tornado in OKC could happen this week. That makes it all the more scary to deal with. With a hurricane, I have days to gather essential belongings and get out of dodge. That also gives people time to mentally prepare for whats coming, which is something you cannot underestimate. With a tornado, if its anything like May 20th, you have 15 minutes and you've gone from a beautiful blue-skied day to total devastation.

It is about being prepared and then being ready to move to a place of safety. We can't sit here and worry about the next thunderstorm spawning a strong tornado.

[ljbab728]

I do agree with this. However, I want to add that it will probably be decades before there is another Sandy or Katrina. Hurricane Andrew was catastrophic for Miami, but South Florida hasn't seen anything like it since. There hasn't been a devastating earthquake in SoCal since 1994.

However, another F5 tornado in OKC could happen this week. That makes it all the more scary to deal with. With a hurricane, I have days to gather essential belongings and get out of dodge. That also gives people time to mentally prepare for whats coming, which is something you cannot underestimate. With a tornado, if its anything like May 20th, you have 15 minutes and you've gone from a beautiful blue-skied day to total devastation.

I live in an apartment by the way and am a natural worrier. Getting a shelter isn't an option and part of me would rather try to move somewhere safer rather than buy a house here. Maybe I'm overblowing it but having seen May 3, 1999 and May 20, 2013, I can't help it.

Please note how many EF5 tornadoes have hit Oklahoma since 1950.

F5 and EF5 Tornadoes of the United States - 1950-present (SPC)

That's a total of 7. The odds are not good for more anytime soon, but who knows?

Please note how many major hurricanes have hit Florida during the same period.

History of Hurricanes for Southern Florida, Past 100 Years

It's 7 and hurricanes affect much larger areas. Your chances of being directly affected by a hurricane in Florida are considerably higher than being affected by a tornado in Oklahoma. Of course the warning time for a hurricane is much longer but with a plan in place there is no reason to feel unsafe.

Everyone deals with fear and anxiety in different ways, however. If it's a life altering concern for you, you should move.

[mmonroe]

I'm sure you've heard the joke, but I believe it to be true; most Oklahoman's are like junior meteorologists.

The bottom line is that the storms that carry tornado's can be very predictable. Last Monday night we were given notice that the next night could possibly carry a big tornado, and to no surprise, the tornado showed itself. The weather technology that we have in place, and the many advances of such technology, have given new light to weather prediction. Does that mean that every warning we receive in advance should be taken to heart and that a tornado will appear, no. It is a safe bet to be ready and review your safety plans with family and friends.

I lost my great-grandfather and his wife Patty in the May 3rd tornado, the 2008 tornado saw to it to destroy the houses of friends and barely missed family. This tornado however destroyed friends and family members homes. Does any of this stop me from living here? The answer is No. Our weather stations around here prove to be life saving, just as the nation has got to see in the past week what we see every tornado season, seasoned professionals doing ground breaking work on the fly to keep us safe.

Sure, there is still a chance I could be hit by a tornado, but where ever I go, there will always be something that 'could' happen.

[kevinpate]

bcris02, I don't know if this will help or hurt, but go back and read what bbates wrote. Then read it again.
The reality is, multi day 24 hour a day coverage aside, you likely face a greater risk to loss of life going to and from work and simply living your life every day.

I've been in various locations in OK for nearly all of the past five decades. I've lost far more friends to accidents, firearms, alcohol and violence than I have to weather. Over time I've endured a botched robbery out of state at a place of business, a successful armed robbery in state years ago, my home broken into once, my parents twice, car break-ins, property stolen overnight, a hit and run on my car once, an accident or three, and more near misses than I can count over the years.

A different mood or a few seconds either way creating the parties in a bit of a different position could have made a lot of things far worse than they were.

Best to just not dwell on it, and use the energy to keep your awareness levels tuned.

Last week a former Girl Scout and her hubby lost their home but fortunately not each other. A dear friend of my lovely walked out of Plaza Tower school alive and her young adult child walked out of what had been their two story family home alive, with only minimal scratches. I'm grateful for their safety and we gladly assist them in going forward anew.

I don't have answers, beyond stay calm, be thankful for the good in life, and share some kindness with others whenever possible.

[dcsooner]

I think if one wants to justify a move out of the State, weather is one that many use. The reality is natural disasters, crime, extreme heat or cold happens in some form and relative frequency everywhere. Blizzards, floods, mega snow, etc. what GODs universe does is out of our control. Yes, when a tornado of the magnitude of the one just experienced happens it is dramatic and heartbreaking, but, preparation is key. Go about the business of living but when severe weather threatens be prepared and react.

[BBatesokc]

When I was quite young our home in Edmond was hit by a tornado. The May 3rd tornado wiped out most of our neighborhood and did significant damage to our home and we were without electricity for 3-4 weeks. The smaller tornado (the day before the Moore tornado) hit our neighborhood in Edmond and a 3-4 story 50-year old tree fell on our home.

I've never considered moving.

In realty I face a more realistic chance of death from the hundreds of motorists whizzing by me in all directions at 60+ MPH only inches away and most likely talking on their phones and/or texting. Nowhere I move can I really get away from that very real danger.

I've also never had a home with a storm shelter. I either shelter in place or flee.

With today's technology it would be extremely rare for a tornado to just 'pop up' and hit you without warning.

I used to have some anxiety over the thought of a tornado in the middle of the night. But not anymore. Between my NOAA weather radio with audible alarm and and my smart phone alert apps, I'd be warned if that should happen.

The one thing I do own is a large enough, heavy enough antique safe bolted to my foundation that can hold anything I feel I can't replace or would need right away (documents, keys, computer hard drive back up, etc.).

We keep a home inventory digitally that has a listing, and often a pic, of every valuable thing we own. Also, every photo I'd ever want has been backed up digitally to the cloud and a portable hard drive. I also make it a habit to simply walk around my home once a year and tape everything in it should I need it to provide to insurance.

We also keep an insurance policy that would provide all the funds needed to repair or replace our home and all of its contents.

Once you take the time to put tornadoes in perspective and the time to have a plan to protect yourself and your valuables, there really isn't much to have anxiety over.

We've fled our home more than once and I crossed my fingers it wouldn't be there when we returned. I've personally known several people who lost their homes either to tornado or fire and in all cases they were better off for it after they got beyond the initial month or two - new house, new stuff and lost all the clutter.

[Bill Robertson]

It's an interesting question. I have pretty much zero anxiety during tornado season. A lot of that comes from having lived here my whole life. I'm so used to it, I don't even think much about it.

It also could be said that a lot of my calmness comes from never having had to deal with a direct hit from a tornado. I'm sure that makes a psychological effect that is hard, if not impossible, to shake. Maybe one day I'll experience one directly and my cool, rational attitude will change to something else.

These two line fit me also. I've lived here my entire 54 years. I've never seen a tornado. Closest I've ever been was in the mid 60s when a small tornado did some damage to a car lot and a couple of fast food places on NW 36th & May. We were about 4 blocks NE of there that night. I really don't think about the possibility of a tornado actually hitting where I am. My wife has pushed for the last few years for a storm shelter but I haven't given in yet. Maybe someday.

[SoonerDave]

I am very late to this thread, as I decided to take a computer-free day yesterday, but I'd like to chime in with my own $0.02.

The key for anything that causes stress and anxiety is to identify that line at which whatever that thing is starts to control you, versus you controlling the fear and anxiety.

I've lived in Oklahoma for 48.2 of my 48.7 years, and in SW OKC in particular. I'm not sure anyone ever gets used to the idea of tornadoes; but what I think most do is manage the risk. When I was a kid, I was literally terrified of spring weather. I remember the tornado watch maps on TV with the big red boxes covering the state and how it would make my stomach knot up. I'd be afraid for our family to leave the house even if only a thunderstorm watch were issued. My dad, being from Maine, didn't understand any of it, and he'd get furious with me for my reaction, but then again, he got furious at most anything. As I got older, I began to realize the TV folks had a vested interest in at least stoking the anxiety to keep people watching. And then I decided to start learning about the weather. That's how I started managing my own risk.

I'm no meteorologist, but I can comfortably assess what's coming up in the next day or so. I can look at a radar and know when my area is at risk and when it isn't. My mom has a storm shelter, and she's only about 4 miles away from us, and I know in most cases I'll be able to make a judgment about when to pack everyone in the car and head to her house. And that's led me not to get a shelter for our own house. And I've done the best I can to get the right kind of insurance for the house in the event the worst does, in fact, happen.

I think bbates made some great points about the other kinds of risk most of us just take for granted, eg highway driving, fires, violence, etc etc. And that's because, for the greater part, have done this same thing - we've learned to manage those risks within reason as best we can and not let the anxiety overtake us. Even with that said, I know my wife is even less concerned about the weather than am I (and she will even get a bit annoyed at my occasional caution), so in that vein it balances out for our family. Also, I try as best I can to put those fears in God's hands and realize that, ultimately, I'm in control of none of it, and thus my anxiety over it isn't very useful.

All this is to say, yes, there are risks, and the best any of us can do is to get a bit more educated about when the risks are more real and immediate than perceived, and manage them as best we can. Just never let the fear overtake you. I contrast the devastation of the last week to those myriad days here when I've awakened to a beautiful, blue, cloudless sky and been thankful to live here as a result. I believe God encourages me to understand there are more of the latter ahead, just as there have been more of those than devastation in days past.

Hope that makes some sense.

[Anonymous.]

Not to be too harsh here, but getting hit by a tornado is extremely rare. You have to have some absorption of the science behind it. Think about it - the may 18th tornado killed 24 people. Twenty-four. That is remarkable considering the size and path. Yes hundreds sustained an injury of some type, but the numbers today for loss of life is much lower than they would be in the past. The exception would be when large numbers of people die in the areas where stellar storm coverage is absent (southeastern US April, 2011) - But that was a multi day event with outrageous numbers of supercells.


Believe it or not, many storm chasers TRY to get near tornadoes and cannot. There are even some that attempt to "intercept" them in armored vehicles. If you follow or pay attention to any of these types of chasers - it is a big deal to get close to one. And this is what they do for a living/hobby.


It is fair to be afraid. But to let it affect your way of life during the Spring is borderline ridiculous. Again I am not trying to be a jerk about it - but you live in the one place in the world where you cannot get better warning/coverage of storms. Oklahoma and Oklahoma City proper blow the competition away in personell and technology.

[SoonerDave]

...You live in the one place in the world where you cannot get better warning/coverage of storms. Oklahoma and Oklahoma City proper blow the competition away in personnel and technology.

This X 1000.

I was down in Orlando for vacation a few years ago, and afternoon summer thunderstorms are as common there as teenage acne. They usually pop up, dump a pile of rain and thunder, then move on. However, one day while we were there, one storm moved over Orlando and headed toward Cape Kennedy, and apparently a little impulse in the Gulf gave this particular storm quite a boost such that it started rotating, and it dropped a tornado along the beach near there. Local weather there did not go wall-to-wall; there was no on-the-ground tracking; one station cut into local TV with a general radar location of the tornado. Only after the storm had passed into the Atlantic did they find that the tornado, while trivial in size and scope compared to what we just went through up here, did considerable damage in that area (including some to the space center, but I don't recall with certainty).

All that is to say that the intensity of tornado coverage and warning in other parts of the country just isn't like it is here. Florida is geared up for hurricanes with multiple days of notice, not tornadoes that spin up out of storms in just a few minutes.