Living with tornadoes in Central Oklahoma

[ou48A]

Hardening Your Home Against Tornadoes



The very worst tornadoes, such as the one that ripped through Moore, Okla., might overpower even our best home construction techniques. But there are plenty of steps to take to protect you home against more common kinds of twisters, and a variety of shelters to protect your family from the worst-case scenario.

Hardening Your Home Against Tornadoes - Popular Mechanics

June 4, 2013 2:44 PM


When you think of a tornado, you rightly think that there's little you can do to protect yourself short of huddling in a fortified underground bunker. Yet in the case of an F4 or F5 tornado, a fortified underground shelter would be the best bet.

Still, underground shelters have their own set of problems, including the possibility that groundwater can seep in or that they can easily become moldy as condensation forms on their walls. They're also extremely expensive and notoriously unstable—and expansive soils in the southern U.S. can wreak havoc with them.

Instead, existing homes can be fortified with sheet metal, plywood, and heavy-duty hardware, and you don't even have to go to an architect or an engineer for plans. FEMA has some surprisingly straightforward plans (PDF) that an experienced amateur builder should be able to use to make a safe room in his or her house or basement. And it doesn't require exotic hardware to make high-strength connections to bolster a residential frame building. Chances are you can find most of what you need at a local home center or lumberyard.

One of the best names in the business, Simpson Strong-Tie, makes connectors that create a continuous load path, tying the house together from roof to foundation. Simpson has teamed up with university engineers to make the design and installation process as straightforward as possible. If you can read construction drawings and are familiar with using basic power tools, especially a rotary hammer or a hammer drill, it's likely that you can install the necessary connectors.

These connectors give protection for F0, F1, and F2 tornadoes, which account for 95 percent of tornado activity. (For protection against an F1 tornado, Simpson Strong-Tie products cost $0.25 per square foot during new home construction. F2 protection costs $0.50 per square foot.)

Once winds start clocking in at around 165 mph, speeds equivalent to an F3, things get a little tricky. "By the time you get to that point, you're having problems with windows and roofs resisting those winds," says Randy Shackelford, vice president of the Simpson Strong-Tie Company.

Read more: Hardening Your Home Against Tornadoes - Popular Mechanics

[venture]

Oklahoma has a low cost of living for a reason. What you are asking for is going to require a lot more government regulation on building codes and such, and I'm sorry...the wrong party is controlling things right now to make that happen. Not to go political, but you'll have a fierce fight on hand from the folks of the Tea Party and similar anti-government intrusion that will fight any changes...regardless of our sound and GOOD they are.

I'm with you though. We need to see building codes updated to at least accommodate not just tornadoes, but how many severe weather days do we have with damaging wind events? Quite a few: Monthly Storm Data Reports for Western, Central and Southern Oklahoma and Western North Texas

[ou48A]

Oklahoma has a low cost of living for a reason. What you are asking for is going to require a lot more government regulation on building codes and such, and I'm sorry...the wrong party is controlling things right now to make that happen. Not to go political, but you'll have a fierce fight on hand from the folks of the Tea Party and similar anti-government intrusion that will fight any changes...regardless of our sound and GOOD they are.

I'm with you though. We need to see building codes updated to at least accommodate not just tornadoes, but how many severe weather days do we have with damaging wind events? Quite a few: Monthly Storm Data Reports for Western, Central and Southern Oklahoma and Western North Texas

I don’t want this thread to turn into a political discussion because on an issue like this it should cross party lines.
Most of the stuff that can be done on new construction is not very costly yet it significantly strengthens the new construction. The cost benefit is basically occurring over the entire life time of the structure, for many decades.

New codes can make us more prosperous though cost savings on lower insurance rates, lower damage rates, and lower heath care cost due to lower injuries and death.

The economic angle needs to be made clear to all, once it’s made I believe that most opposition in our state would melt away. Just like other states have done, it’s the right thing to do to protect our future.

[BBatesokc]

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?

'Dumb enough' is relative at best. The label you referenced was put on Oklahoma 4 years ago (by Popular Mechanics of all things) - are you 'dumb enough' to continue to forward your statement, yet since 2009 you can't find a single piece of evidence that companies refused to locate here because of tornadoes?

[ou48A]

'Dumb enough' is relative at best. The label you referenced was put on Oklahoma 4 years ago (by Popular Mechanics of all things) - are you 'dumb enough' to continue to forward your statement, yet since 2009 you can't find a single piece of evidence that companies refused to locate here because of tornadoes?

On 6/4/13 CH 9 said that PM republished the article.

Since 2009 we haven’t had very much national publicity about our tornadoes until now. It’s entirely relevant rather you like it or not because we will keep having tornadoes… It’s entirely relevant because we have a national image of not doing all we can to protect our self’s and our kids.

If you don’t think this plays on people minds on in other parts of the nation when they think about moving to Oklahoma then you don’t get out much…. It’s a very big deal to overcome with some people and anything we can do to put people’s minds at ease is going to help in our economic efforts.

[ou48A]

Living with tornado threats?

There are more than just building codes and shelters that we should do. Part of this is simple decisions.

Perhaps when a PDS tornado watch is issued it would be wise to allow schools to dismiss classes if they don’t have certified shelters. Once a warning is issued, for the schools that have certified shelters the kids should be kept in shelter during a tornado warning and not be allowed to be released to their parents.

Any non-essential employee should be allowed to leave work without fear of punishment if that place of employment has no certified shelter for all employees.

We could erect more electronic signs that inform drivers to tune to a certain radio station for more WX info.
The weather and news people should have a better system of informing drivers of the most up to date and current congested traffic along with the areas to avoid due to both the storm and congestion. We should reduce the bottle necks in our highways that are already needed every day.

[Bunty]

It would be nice if insurance companies would give discount rates on homes that have been fortified for tornadoes.

[kevinpate]

Twisters have come and gone through parts of Oklahoma, many, many parts, since well before it was Oklahoma. Near as I can tell, the state seems to be growing at a better than middlin' clip. OKC, Norman, even Mo-whathaveIgotafreakinbullseyeonmyback-ore are all doing some interesting growth in the past 25 or so years. As are Mustang, Yukon and parts further out.

Twisters suck, quite literally. But overall, life goes on even when the wind comes twirling down the plains instead of just sweeping..

[BBatesokc]

On 6/4/13 CH 9 said that PM republished the article.

Since 2009 we haven’t had very much national publicity about our tornadoes until now. It’s entirely relevant rather you like it or not because we will keep having tornadoes… It’s entirely relevant because we have a national image of not doing all we can to protect our self’s and our kids.

If you don’t think this plays on people minds on in other parts of the nation when they think about moving to Oklahoma then you don’t get out much…. It’s a very big deal to overcome with some people and anything we can do to put people’s minds at ease is going to help in our economic efforts.

Yet, you can't provide a single fact or evidence.... just blah blah, opinion, blah blah opinion.

Its great to have an opinion. But to forward it as fact when you can't back it up in the slightest is absurdity.

If its such a 'very big deal to overcome with some people' (assuming you're still staying on your topic of companies not willing to locate to Oklahoma because of tornadoes) then please, just provide one simple source.

The state and OKC are growing by leaps and bounds - which flies in the face of your false assertions.

[ljbab728]

Storms don't blow away state's reputation, ability to recruit | Oklahoman.com

“Overall, it’s certainly not helpful to growing our economy or to our outside view, but I don’t think there’s any long-term negative effect,” Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said. “We’ve established our own identity over the past few years. I don’t think we’re branded by tragedies like we once were. Our brand has improved such that the weather events don’t overshadow the other events we’ve highlighted and promoted.”
“Ten to 20 years ago, our brand didn’t stand for much. It didn’t have any positive things associated with it,” Cornett said. “Now with the (Thunder) basketball team and the general economic news that has come out, there are so many positive things to be associated with Oklahoma City. It’s much easier for our brand to withstand this type of weather information.”

The Oklahoma City Chamber every few years conducts surveys of business leaders nationwide about their perceptions of Oklahoma City.

“Weather typically comes up,” said Cynthia Reid, communications director for the chamber. “We see the impact of weather ebb and flow from year to year. It was an increased concern in 2010 compared to 2007 because we had just had some storms. If we were to take that survey again now, we would see the same thing, but a year or two from now, we might not.”

The recent tornadoes may create a fearful image for some, but the national reports also could actually be beneficial, Reid said.

“There’s not a doubt in my mind that this brings some of those negative stereotypes back, but the coverage also has shown what kind of place this is,” Reed said.

“There’s a positive impact of how we come together.”

While the storms have highlighted a negative affect of living in Oklahoma, they also have pointed out one of the state’s greatest strengths, Hackler said.

“A lot of people would think companies would be put off by the weather, but we’ve gotten a lot of very favorable indications of support from companies that are considering Oklahoma,” he said.

“They’ve advised us that the weather is not going to take us out of consideration. In fact, the way Oklahomans respond to adversity, many companies have said that’s the type of people they want working for them.”
Bad weather may be less of a concern for larger national or international companies that are considering expanding to Oklahoma, Hackler said.

“Some really large companies we’ve been working with have said ‘We’re so big, wherever there’s adverse weather, it’s going to affect us. We can’t run from it or hide from it,’” he said.

“Companies are looking for a good opportunity for their company and their workforce to get the job done. The way Oklahomans respond to adversity shows their character and makes them valuable employees.”

Reid said business leaders in general tend to be less concerned about tornadoes and other weather-related threats.

“Business leaders have a tendency to understand that risk,” she said. “The greater impact we see is from potential employees asked to relocate here. They may not have that understanding.”

[bluedogok]

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!

Texas only has them to 100 miles from the coast, the rest of Texas (including the DFW, Austin and San Antonio areas) for the most part have no different codes than the state of Oklahoma. Houston and Corpus Christi were the only areas that I had to deal with anything different then what Oklahoma has in regards to actual building codes, mostly in glazing and no ballasted low-slope roofs for the most part. There were differences in land development and energy codes in Austin but nothing building wise was any different. They are all dealing with the International Code Council codes as the basis of municipal building codes. The City of Houston has pretty much a rewrite of the IBC, the City of Pasadena uses the NFPA buildings codes which is the only place that I have ever used the NFPA outside of fire protection or life safety.

[ou48A]

Yet, you can't provide a single fact or evidence.... just blah blah, opinion, blah blah opinion.

Its great to have an opinion. But to forward it as fact when you can't back it up in the slightest is absurdity.

If its such a 'very big deal to overcome with some people' (assuming you're still staying on your topic of companies not willing to locate to Oklahoma because of tornadoes) then please, just provide one simple source.

We are taking about the future not the past. As I said it’s way too soon for these particular tornadoes to have had any impact on the decisions of relocations. To not consider that is to ignore reality of the present time.
Business has become far more risk adverse than ever has been. It would literally take a fool to not think they won’t have an impact on some relocation decisions in the future.

Our relocation competitors will make dam sure that the decision makers in business see how Oklahoma’s has chosen to protect their life and property that you can take to the bank. Your way hands them ammunition to work with.

[CuatrodeMayo]

Storms don't blow away state's reputation, ability to recruit | Oklahoman.com

Check and mate.

[ou48A]

The state and OKC are growing by leaps and bounds

Almost all our states growth has been related to energy where most people have a decent perception of the impact of tornadoes. People who are not exposed to tornado threats from other part of the country are often far more apprehensive. They are going to look far harder at what we are doing, or not, when it comes to relocations. Their relocations are big key to a more diversified state economy.

[ou48A]

Check and mate.

That’s hardly the case….! It’s a mayor in spin mode just exactly as you would expect to see!

Even the mayor admits “Overall, it’s certainly not helpful to growing our economy or to our outside view, but I don’t think there’s any long-term negative effect,”

Only time will tell but even he has got to know that we are missing out on opportunity’s because we haven’t been as proactive as we should be.

[ljbab728]

And some people never miss a chance to be negative. Absolutely nobody knows for sure at this point how it will affect OKC in the long term but the indications seem to be that the affects will be minimal.

[ou48A]

“There’s not a doubt in my mind that this brings some of those negative stereotypes back, but the coverage also has shown what kind of place this is,” Reed said


Some of those negative stereotypes can be removed if we will work toward a plan that works to protect our children while they are in school along with some other basic precautions.
This negative stereotype that was often repeated by national news sources and it looks horrible to many outsiders.

[ou48A]

And some people never miss a chance to be negative. Absolutely nobody knows for sure at this point how it will affect OKC in the long term but the indications seem to be that the affects will be minimal.

This isn’t about being negative at least from me. Actually it’s the complete opposite.

It about taking control of the situation and building a better future by mitigating the cost associated with the storms of the future.

It’s about being smarter than we have been by doing things that we know work and doing most of it at reasonably low cost. There are real reasons why other states have started more proactive measures than what we have done.

It sends a much better message to outsiders and even to our self’s than the status quo that some seem to think is ok.

[ou48A]

Safety experts call for national law encouraging strong building codes | Insure.com
May 21, 2013
Building safety experts want Congress to pass a law that would give states financial incentives to adopt and enforce strong building codes.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety are supporting the Safe Building Code Incentive Act, which was introduced in the House and Senate May 8.

"There is no question among first responders, and the fire service in particular, that strong building codes provide vital life safety protection during natural disasters such as wildfires," Chief Hank Clemmensen, International Association of Fire Chiefs president and board chairman, said in a press statement.

Julie Rochman, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety president and CEO, said the passage of the bill is important because 34 states do not have building codes that rely on the latest modern building science.

The bill would give qualifying states an additional 4 percent of funding for post-disaster assistance if they used nationally recognized model building codes. To qualify, states would need to adopt and enforce the International Residential Code from either of the most recent two updates (2012 or 2009).

[soonerguru]

Almost all our states growth has been related to energy where most people have a decent perception of the impact of tornadoes. People who are not exposed to tornado threats from other part of the country are often far more apprehensive. They are going to look far harder at what we are doing, or not, when it comes to relocations. Their relocations are big key to a more diversified state economy.

Agree 100%. I was just in Atlanta on business last week and all people would talk about is the tornadoes. They were nice about it but asked, nicely, why we would choose to live here when it's so dangerous.

[bluedogok]

Agree 100%. I was just in Atlanta on business last week and all people would talk about is the tornadoes. They were nice about it but asked, nicely, why we would choose to live here when it's so dangerous.

Like they never get tornadoes in Georgia, the one that hit Tuscaloosa went through the NW corner of Georgia.

Some of the same things were said after Hurricane Ike (and others) came near Houston, hurricanes don't seem to phase the business culture along the coast. Think Sandy will really hurt NYC or the Jersey Coast? Given a year and it won't really be on anyone's mind outside of the state. They will be busy with whatever the latest calamity is going on.

[venture]

If we can survive the onslaught of what is nationally considered a backwoods, backwards, prejudice way of thinking that a *FEW* select idiots in our state legislature help to reinforce...and still attract companies like Google, Dell, and GE to spend money here - I think we are okay. Tornadoes and Oklahoma go hand in hand. Always have been...always will. People have short term memories. Look at how many completely forgot about the F4/EF4s that have been through Moore since '99, or even the EF5 we had in the NW Metro a couple years back.

Will some companies shy away from Oklahoma? Perhaps. Most won't even remember the tornado in 6 months.

[ljbab728]

Exactly, right. Obviously we want to protect our citizens as much as possible and should do everything within reason to accomplish that. These recent storms just are not going to have any kind of long lasting affect on continued economic growth in Oklahoma.

[venture]

Like they never get tornadoes in Georgia, the one that hit Tuscaloosa went through the NW corner of Georgia.

Some of the same things were said after Hurricane Ike (and others) came near Houston, hurricanes don't seem to phase the business culture along the coast. Think Sandy will really hurt NYC or the Jersey Coast? Given a year and it won't really be on anyone's mind outside of the state. They will be busy with whatever the latest calamity is going on.

Reinforces my point I think...people have short term memories. If people in Georgia aren't even remember the Super Outbreak of 2011...then they won't remember the EF5s this year. April 25-27th 2011...the biggest tornado outbreak in US history...

[ljbab728]

I"m trying to remember. Did people start leaving or avoiding Atlanta in droves after that happened?