Living with tornadoes in Central Oklahoma

[Bunty]

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.

Would you feel safer living in Florida? Hurricane Andrew from 1992:


Andrew made a direct hit on Homestead, Florida and nearby Florida City (both not too far from Miami). What did the storm leave behind?

28,066 homes were destroyed…


82,000 businesses were destroyed or damaged…


107,380 homes were damaged…


250,000 people were left homeless…


700,000 people were evacuated…


1.4 million homes were left without electricity…


Homestead Air Force Base was literally wiped from the map…


1,167 mobile homes were destroyed (Andrew only spared 9 mobile homes in the area!)…



Total losses:

$26.5 billion (some media sources put the number as high as $30 billion- when adjusted in 2004 dollars, damage was about $43.67 billion)…


Death toll from Hurricane Andrew varies. According to an article in the August 24th, 2004 edition of the St. Petersburg Times:


The National Hurricane Center says a total of 44 people died from Andrew (15 directly killed by the hurricane, 29 indirect deaths)…


The Centers for Disease Control puts the death toll at 32, (14 directly killed by the hurricane and just 18 indirect deaths)…

[venture]

Any word on any storm shelter rebates for our area?

I believe most expect that they'll be brought back sometime this year. Of course the counties impacted will vary greatly. We'll probably see lotteries for the impact cities first and then for the counties.

[RadicalModerate]

It must not have been done in one pour if it was the top of a basement. If it was just a slab on the ground that was moved, that's a totally different issue than a basement top.

Of course, you are correct. It was apparently a concrete slab, poured over an addition of some sort, to a 100 year old farmhouse southeast of Crescent. The house was totally splinterized (and the slab moved). Ironically, a large corrugated paneled "pole barn" less than thirty yards from the (former) house was nearly unscathed.

That being said . . . I have often wondered why building codes have never DEMANDED that a corner of any tilt-up/alt. commericial construction building have interior lateral support walls--and maybe even some sort of ceiling structure (strong, but lightweight and properly anchored) and completely independent of the common steel roof truss system that is the first thing to go in a strong storm.

On the other hand I have often wondered why building codes don't demand a minimum 32" (preferably 36") wide door on at least one bathroom on the lower floor of a house. (for wheelchair access in case an unexpected event puts one unexpectedly in the position of needing one). Obviously, a bit of closet and/or other space would have to be sacrificed in order to allow for the extra eight to twelve inches of door opening but it is much less expensive to do this during the design part of a project than to do a retrofit. Please be advised that I don't personally need this sort of "accomodation" but I've known folks who do and possess a bit of empathy.

(and did, even while I was in the remodeling business)

[ou48A]

With the right roof the thought of a modern engineered, solid, Compressed Earth Block (CEB) home is intriguing.

I would want to learn more.




An Overview of Different Construction Methods As They Pertain to Tornado Resistance

An Overview of Different Constru

[CuatrodeMayo]

Or Rammed Earth: Rammed Earth Builder

[RadicalModerate]

With the right roof the thought of a modern engineered, solid, Compressed Earth Block (CEB) home is intriguing.

I would want to learn more.

An Overview of Different Construction Methods As They Pertain to Tornado Resistance

An Overview of Different Constru

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but this sounds a lot like Adobe For The New Millenium and is probably most effective where there is little to no water table or rain or tornadic activity. (now i will read the article and prove myself wrong . . . =)

(free bonus suggestion: when setting fence posts it is always better to dig the hole, put some pea gravel in the bottom for drainage, then tamp in the dirt you took out to form the hole rather than setting the post in concrete. if you don't want to do a bunch of tamping, then water-packing the disturbed soil will make your fence post happier and make it last longer)

o'yeah: please note the poetic and protected juxtaposition of human and natural confines that resulted in this:
tornadoes? fuggedaboutem' only problem: no people. (on account of no water on account of . . . et. ad inf.)



perhaps a lesson to be learned from the wasps. and the W.A.S.P.s as well
excuse me . . . there is apparently a circle of . . . visitors arranged in the roofless kiva for the photo shoot. apparently they are from Oklahoma. i'm not sure . . . but they may be praying . . .

[NikonNurse]

He was behind me in Moore the other day....LOL.

[RadicalModerate]

He was behind me in Moore the other day....LOL.

Hopefully not The Discredited Journalist from The Daily Oklahoman . . . =)
or that "lost ogle" dude . . .

[ou48A]

(free bonus suggestion: when setting fence posts it is always better to dig the hole, put some pea gravel in the bottom for drainage, then tamp in the dirt you took out to form the hole rather than setting the post in concrete. if you don't want to do a bunch of tamping, then water-packing the disturbed soil will make your fence post happier and make it last longer)

Interesting tip on setting fence post.
I used steel T post on the last stockade fence I put up.
The posts are on 7 foot centers with an 8” x DIA 30” deep augured hole filled with mixed concrete.
This fence was about 115’ long built with a tolerance of .125. I hand selected each board and used no nails
I did all the work myself including the design.
The fence is about 12 years old now. It’s been exposed to strong winds and even with the drought the entire fence hasn’t moved more than about in either direction .250 off center.

[RadicalModerate]

With the soil and wind we have around here, that is one amazing fence. Oh: I probably should have made it clear that I was referring to wooden fence posts.

[ou48A]

Compressed Earth Block Research from The University of Oklahoma College of Architecture

Division of Architecture - College of Architecture - The University of Oklahoma

[ou48A]

Learn about safe rooms

High Winds Safe Rooms

[dcsooner]

Can/will Oklahoma and OKC be able to sustain positive population growth given the recent spate of severe weather and more importantly the negative perception that the city is a dangerous place to live because of the violent weather patterns? Thoughts

[CuatrodeMayo]

Yes.

[Hawk405359]

As others have said, people have to live somewhere, and everywhere is at risk for something. Most reasonable people know and understand that, and know that part of living anywhere is how to mitigate the risks associated with living there, whether it be tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, blizzards, etc. These situations bring awareness and may scare off the more delusional who think there's a place where nature can't kill them, but I think most people see a potential place beyond the disasters that may occur there.

[ou48A]

Can/will Oklahoma and OKC be able to sustain positive population growth given the recent spate of severe weather and more importantly the negative perception that the city is a dangerous place to live because of the violent weather patterns? Thoughts

The risk is that by not doing nearly enough to proactively protect our citizens with more shelters and mitigating damaged with stronger state building codes for new construction that we see business scratch Oklahoma off the list as a relocation destination.

From an outsiders perspective who might be looking at Oklahoma as a place to relocate a business some would be turned off by the fact that we don’t even require that our new schools have storm shelters as some other states have done. IMHO it portrays a backwards image of our state that we have been working so hard to overcome since the dust bowl days. When we won’t even do some of the most basic things to protect our self’s when other states do why should we expect others to want to move here?

[BBatesokc]

The risk is that by not doing nearly enough to proactively protect our citizens with more shelters and mitigating damaged with stronger state building codes for new construction that we see business scratch Oklahoma off the list as a relocation destination.

From an outsiders perspective who might be looking at Oklahoma as a place to relocate a business some would be turned off by the fact that we don’t even require that our new schools have storm shelters as some other states have done. IMHO it portrays a backwards image of our state that we have been working so hard to overcome since the dust bowl days. When we won’t even do some of the most basic things to protect our self’s when other states do why should we expect others to want to move here?

Yeah, I'm not buying that argument. Plenty of other much bigger states that attract lots of commerce have disasters with much higher damage cost - Florida Texas and NY for just three.

Tornadoes and sharks seem to instill the same irrational fear in the public.

[ou48A]

Yeah, I'm not buying that argument. Plenty of other much bigger states that attract lots of commerce have disasters with much higher damage cost - Florida Texas and NY for just three.

Tornadoes and sharks seem to instill the same irrational fear in the public.

You may not buy it but those states have far stronger build requirements that better protect people in new construction…. This puts more people’s minds at ease. Employers who care about their people look at such factors. They care that they don’t need to worry about their kid’s safety from most natural disasters while there at school. I'm not buying what your selling at all!

[ou48A]

If we want to live in a top tier state it’s time to do what top tier states do and build stronger buildings and protect our people.

If we don’t do it the insurance companies are eventually going to do it for us, their way!

[BBatesokc]

You may not buy it but those states have far stronger build requirements that better protect people in new construction…. This puts more people’s minds at ease. Employers who care about their people look at such factors. They care that they don’t need to worry about their kid’s safety from most natural disasters while there at school. I'm not buying what your selling at all!

Those 'stronger build requirements' still result in higher dollar value loses due to natural disasters than Oklahoma. Where's your proof that companies are bypassing Oklahoma because of tornadoes?

Top 10 States Most at Risk of Disaster-Kiplinger

[zookeeper]

Those 'stronger build requirements' still result in higher dollar value loses due to natural disasters than Oklahoma. Where's your proof that companies are bypassing Oklahoma because of tornadoes?

Top 10 States Most at Risk of Disaster-Kiplinger

Same thing I am wondering. Where's the proof?

[ou48A]

Those 'stronger build requirements' still result in higher dollar value loses due to natural disasters than Oklahoma. Where's your proof that companies are bypassing Oklahoma because of tornadoes?

Top 10 States Most at Risk of Disaster-Kiplinger

Don’t ask silly questions, the event is way too fresh for there to be any proof.

But rest assured it will stick in the minds of corporate business leaders who will want to know what we are doing as a state to proactively prevent injuries, death and destruction just like many other states have done to mitigate their repeated natural disasters.
When it’s proven that we can do better doing nothing is tantamount to ignorance and stupidity and it will be seen as exactly that by outside business.

[ou48A]

Oklahoma was just named as one of the 8 most dangerous places to live on the entire planet by Popular Mechanics. With publicity like this Oklahoma is going be forced to do hard core things to counter it. Otherwise the image is here to stay.


8 of the Most Dangerous Places (To Live) on the Planet - Popular Mechanics



The I-44 Tornado Corridor
Where: Oklahoma City/Tulsa, Oklahoma

More than 1 million people reside along the Interstate 44 corridor that runs between Oklahoma City and Tulsa, the Sooner State's two most populous metropolitan areas. Each spring, as the cool, dry air from the Rocky Mountains glides across the lower plains, and the warm, wet air of the Gulf Coast comes north to meet it, the residents of this precarious stretch, locally called Tornado Alley, settle in for twister season.

Since 1890, more than 120 tornados have struck Oklahoma City and the surrounding area, which currently has a population of approximately 700,000. On May 3, 1999, an outbreak of 70 tornados stretched across Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. Several of the most destructive storms swept through Oklahoma City, destroying 1700 homes and damaging another 6500. Even with modern prediction capabilities and early-warning systems, 40 people died when an F-5 twister tore through Oklahoma City. In addition to the loss of life, this display of natural devastation caused more than $1 billion in damage. Since 1950, the longest the area has gone without a tornado is five years—from 1992 to 1998. (As if making up for lost time, in the 11 months that followed that record lull, 11 tornados hit.) For only three other periods during the last half-century has Oklahoma City gone more than two years without a tornado.

Northeast of Oklahoma City, along the same track that most tornado-producing storms travel, sits Tulsa, which has experienced its own share of devastation at the hands of Tornado Alley's storms. Between 1950 and 2006, 69 tornados spun across Tulsa County—population 590,000—though none proved as deadly as the 1999 storm that hit Oklahoma City. But because of its geography—the city lies along the banks of the Arkansas River and is built atop an extensive series of creeks and their flood plains—Tulsa is particularly vulnerable to the rain that accompanies Oklahoma's severe weather. Major floods in 1974, 1976 and 1984 caused hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage.

[BBatesokc]

"Just Named" - try again..... "Editor's Note: This article was published in 2009 and is not a response to the recent events in Oklahoma"

Which means you should surely be able to find articles to support your claim since 'just named' was actually 4 years ago.

[ou48A]

"Just Named" - try again..... "Editor's Note: This article was published in 2009 and is not a response to the recent events in Oklahoma"

Which means you should surely be able to find articles to support your claim since 'just named' was actually 4 years ago.

It's just as relevant today as it was 4 years ago, unless you’re dumb enough to think we are going to stop having tornadoes and such?