Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Jean is from Seattle. Newcastle is a small suburb of Seattle. Ah, Newcastle is also in OK. I can see why there was confusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peachskittles Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 You can't build a safe room to withstand 200-300 mile an hour winds which is what Moore has experienced twice now. It will just be flattened. After this tornado, I went on a rabbit trail to see how Joplin is doing. On their facebook page, I found a link for safe rooms made in Joplin. http://atlassaferooms.com/ They say these can handle an EF-5 tornado. I'm not sure if it's true, but right now it sounds pretty nice considering a year or two ago a town an hour or so from me was partially destroyed by a tornado. I've been through tornados and I've been through a hurricane...I'm not sure which I would rather do again. Neither is my obvious answer but ugh...I think we need a safer place than the basement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninok Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/20/18382215-curse-or-coincidence-scientists-study-tornado-alleys-past-and-future?lite Mountain air, gulf moisture, jet stream. It isn't just Moore, areas all over the state are hit often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 http://science.nbcne...and-future?lite Mountain air, gulf moisture, jet stream. It isn't just Moore, areas all over the state are hit often. That was really interesting. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninok Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I am now reading that the school did in fact have a basement, and some of the children drowned, I do not know if broken water pipes caused it, or what exactly happened, but it is just tragic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I wonder if there is some kind of atmospheric condition or jet stream path that brings these super tornadoes to Moore. I mean, seriously, what are the odds that two F5 tornadoes would hit the same town? I would probably get out of Moore after today if I could. It's just so scary and sad. :crying: Discovery channel has some very interesting/informative programs airing this week, I guess started yesterday? and a little bit about tornadoes and why they happen here in our American tornado alley and it all has to do with the perfect conditions that aren't found elsewhere...the cold from the north, the dry from the west, the humidity and moisture from the gulf... It is scary. I have only lived in north central TX for almost 5 years and I am so totally finished with living here because of the tornadoes. You would think that everyone would have a storm shelter, but they don't, and we don't, not yet. Keep everyone that is in harm's way in your prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninok Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 The M.E. has now confirmed 91 deaths. :crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reflections Posted May 21, 2013 Author Share Posted May 21, 2013 I'm scared of what the morning will bring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 It is just terrible :( I went to that elementary school. :( I can't believe it. :grouphug: I'm just waking up to this story now. My heart and prayers go out to all involved - and I hope science can someday figure out how to dissipate tornadoes. It may be a pipe dream, but it's my pipe dream. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I find myself thinking about Aberfan (distressing content) this morning. My mother remembers going shopping in her city 200 miles away the morning that the news came through, and all the people were walking around stunned. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butterflymommy Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Does anyone know what time the schools let out there? Where parents caught en route to pick up their kids? We once experienced a VERY brief f1 tornado-- in fact we were right on the line where it dissipated to whatever is the next step down-- I can easily say it was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. I just cannot imagine the terror of experiencing an f5. I've been so heartsick since reading this story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 There was warning given for days that there would be storms. There were storms for 2 days prior. Schools and parents were warned that the conditions were ripe. The morning report said it would happen earlier than the late afternoon ones the day before. The noon news predicted it would erupt between noon and 2:00. One school in the OKC area sent a text to parents saying don't pick up your kids after 1:00, come before if you were getting them because they wouldn't be released after that. They can't be dealing with releasing kids in a Tornado Warning. I wonder if Moore did the same? There is some warning for these things, but you don't know where exactly it will hit, and life has to go on to some extent while you keep one eye on the situation. There were 2 F4s the day before, but they went through more rural areas. Nobody can tell exactly where the bad one will develop. The line goes across the whole state where the storms will form and then move east. It could be anywhere along that line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oceanseve Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Yes this was about the time schools get out. They locked down the schools and refused to release children. They announced it all over the news that they were not allowing children to leave. Parents said they arrived at the schools and couldn't get in because they had locked it down and gone to take cover. I am not sure if that particular interview was about those schools hit or another in the area though. My sister in law teaches at a school just south of there and she was still at the school at 8pm last night. People can't get in or out of the town except on foot. Just got up and haven't heard if things have improved yet, but my husband spoke to his brother this morning and they can't get to their house which was about a mile south of the path. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 We had been warned that conditions would be ripe. School all along the metro had said to either get your kids before 1 or wait until after school. The news here had specifically voiced concerns that the worst time would be around school release time. That being said, many could have assumed they were calling wolf. At 1 pm, there were NO STORMS on the radar at all. By 2:20, the storm was strong and on top of us. Still, there was little to no rotation on it. Ten minutes later, they were calling rotation and warnings. We almost didn't head to shelter because it dropped out of the sky so quickly. Decisions to be made in an elementary school with that number of kids would have been hard to make with such a short time table. Older grades were evacuated to a church a quarter mile away while the younger grades sheltered in the school. Keep Oklahoma in your prayers for a while. We will be rebuilding from this even after everyone moves on. My husband is helping with the recovery efforts this morning and tells me it is worse than the news portrays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 It's just heartbreaking. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I am now reading that the school did in fact have a basement, and some of the children drowned, I do not know if broken water pipes caused it, or what exactly happened, but it is just tragic. I read something about a pool. I know pools used to be more common in schools. I can't find the source that mentioned the pool.... will look some more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 You can't easily build underground shelters in Oklahoma. Very few homes have basements. The soil is too moist and the water table is too high. It is much more common to find safe rooms, which are steel reinforced concrete rooms. Some schools in Moore have entire hallways which are saferooms. Kelley Elementary is one school that has a safe room for a hallway. It is a newer school, it was leveled to the concrete slab in the May 3 1999 tornado. It seems like there are a ton of companies in OK offering "underground storm shelters." That's cheaper than a basement. Too bad the schools didn't seem to have them! Those people are going to need a lot of prayers and help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Here - they also lock schools down. It's considered far more dangerous to have them in a car once the warnings hit, and also - to have parents in the parking lots or driving frantically to the school. Schools are usually very safe places to be in tornados and hurricanes, which is why they are usually used as shelters. A lot of parents also have come to think of schools as a safe place for their kids during a storm. Parents are allowed to take their kids out early if they chose to, but most don't because 99% of the time, no tornado actually hits that exact spot. I wonder what will happen now, though, with the reports of the parents trying to get their kids and being denied access? I mean - to a certain extent parental rights should trump school policy. The whole thing is so sad..... We lived in Enid for a year, and in three other Tornado Alley locations for about a year each, and every spring it was the same thing.... But never did I have to go through anything like this. As for basements, many places have a water table too high for a standard basement, and the only option is a shelter buried in the yard. I only knew of one family in my neighborhood in Enid that had a shelter like this - they are quite expensive.... Most people there just relied on closets and bathrooms.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 We had been warned that conditions would be ripe. School all along the metro had said to either get your kids before 1 or wait until after school. The news here had specifically voiced concerns that the worst time would be around school release time. That being said, many could have assumed they were calling wolf. At 1 pm, there were NO STORMS on the radar at all. By 2:20, the storm was strong and on top of us. Still, there was little to no rotation on it. Ten minutes later, they were calling rotation and warnings. We almost didn't head to shelter because it dropped out of the sky so quickly. Decisions to be made in an elementary school with that number of kids would have been hard to make with such a short time table. Older grades were evacuated to a church a quarter mile away while the younger grades sheltered in the school. Keep Oklahoma in your prayers for a while. We will be rebuilding from this even after everyone moves on. My husband is helping with the recovery efforts this morning and tells me it is worse than the news portrays. :grouphug: to you and your husband. My dh went through the '99 tornado and he still has trouble talking about how horrific that one was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Oh my, this is awful. My prayers are with all those impacted. I read something about a pool. I know pools used to be more common in schools. I can't find the source that mentioned the pool.... will look some more. I read something that said "a pool of water" and had to reread because I first thought that it said they drowned in a pool. Could that be it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oceanseve Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 no, there would not have been a pool there. The only schools that have pools here are colleges and maybe a private high school or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 It seems like there are a ton of companies in OK offering "underground storm shelters." That's cheaper than a basement. Too bad the schools didn't seem to have them! Those people are going to need a lot of prayers and help. Underground shelters are usually no bigger than a closet. They might hold ten people - not hundreds. In order for these kids to have been underground, they would have needed a basement. It is possible to have safe rooms built to withstand winds this strong, but they are rare and expensive. :grouphug: to you and your husband. My dh went through the '99 tornado and he still has trouble talking about how horrific that one was. Thank you. I wish there was more I could do to help, but with 5 young kids, the best thing I can do is stay away so professionals can do their job. You bet we'll be there helping out when the time comes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 The death toll has been lowered to "at least 24 fatalities." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 no, there would not have been a pool there. The only schools that have pools here are colleges and maybe a private high school or two. Moore High school has a pool, I have swam in it. I think Westmoore does as well. The elementary schools do not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oceanseve Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Moore High school has a pool, I have swam in it. I think Westmoore does as well. The elementary schools do not. None of the OKC area public schools had pools when I was in school. Kids these days get all the neat stuff :p So glad they lowered the death toll. Wish someone would chime in on exactly what the hold up is for not allowing people into their neighborhoods. There's speculation it's gas leak, protection from looters/lookers or a few other things, but no one is outright saying why. Only heard from one friend that's been able to get to their house. Everyone else is stuck outside the blockade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Underground shelters are usually no bigger than a closet. They might hold ten people - not hundreds. In order for these kids to have been underground, they would have needed a basement. It is possible to have safe rooms built to withstand winds this strong, but they are rare and expensive. More than one of the schools in Moore does have a large "community safe room." This is because those schools are new or were completely leveled in previous storms. Kelly Elementary was just concrete slab after the 1999 tornado (that one happened in the evening) and it had been hit previously by smaller storms. Now it is one of the safest schools in the country in a tornado. Here is a picture of an elementary school being built in Joplin, a saferoom is in the background. http://mooreamerican...ive/x2002139530 They are rare, but they are quickly becoming common. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 None of the OKC area public schools had pools when I was in school. Kids these days get all the neat stuff :p So glad they lowered the death toll. Wish someone would chime in on exactly what the hold up is for not allowing people into their neighborhoods. There's speculation it's gas leak, protection from looters/lookers or a few other things, but no one is outright saying why. Only heard from one friend that's been able to get to their house. Everyone else is stuck outside the blockade. There are powerlines everywhere. My friend posted a pic in front of their home and one of the pics had someone jumping over a downed power line! Who does that! I wonder if all the power lines has something to do with it? My mom has a friend who went to the bank and then couldn't get back home! Ack! I am not sure how old Moore's pool is. It was there when I was there, I am 38. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oceanseve Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I thought they had already shut off the grid to that area though, so why are they still blocking the roads? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I thought they had already shut off the grid to that area though, so why are they still blocking the roads? They usually close off neighborhoods but that tends to be more due to gawkers getting in the way taking photos. But even then they let residents in with their driver's licence. Now they aren't letting anyone in the town at all. It seems odd to me too. I saw something about them clearing reporters from Plaza, did you hear anything about that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Regular basements are not that much safer than a closet in a large tornado. We had one in our area last year and many of the fatalities were in the basements- some were sucked out of the basements where they had taken refuge. We used to feel fairly safe in our basement until then. Now, if we ever build a house in a tornado prone area, I will insist on a tornado shelter built into a room or underground. They aren't that expensive if you add them to new constructions. Tornadoes are terrifying. When I was a kid we had one come through our town while we had a babysitter watching us. It was horrible. Our house was fine but a few blocks over it destroyed some houses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Regular basements are not that much safer than a closet in a large tornado. We had one in our area last year and many of the fatalities were in the basements- some were sucked out of the basements where they had taken refuge. We used to feel fairly safe in our basement until then. Now, if we ever build a house in a tornado prone area, I will insist on a tornado shelter built into a room or underground. They aren't that expensive if you add them to new constructions. Tornadoes are terrifying. When I was a kid we had one come through our town while we had a babysitter watching us. It was horrible. Our house was fine but a few blocks over it destroyed some houses. Oh wow that is scary. Usually when I am talking to people and the sirens are going off they either have everyone in the bathtub or they are standing outside. We had a basement when I was in KS and that did make me feel more safe...it is scary to know that isn't much better D: I see the meteorologists sometimes say "you have to be underground for this one" or something similar. Maybe they should clarify that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I didn't know she was from that Newcastle. I know we have some other posters from the area too. We are in Edmond, and had a scare yesterday. My heart is broken and I wish I could do something to help. It feels so weird to be so close and be unable to do anything. I, too, was under the impression Jean lived in Washington State. Were there tornadoes up there too. It is pretty rare in that part. I've been out of town all weekend and did not even check news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I, too, was under the impression Jean lived in Washington State. Were there tornadoes up there too? It is pretty rare in that part. I've been out of town all weekend and did not even check news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Knoll Mom Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I would probably get out of Moore after today if I could. It's just so scary and sad. :crying: I have a friend who is the music teacher at Briarwood Elementary. She and her son took cover in a faculty bathroom. The door to bathroom was torn off its hinges and flew into her and broke her foot. Miraculously, though, the door ended up protecting them when the roof collapsed. Her van was in the parking lot and is now missing, but her house and the rest of her family is safe. Her kids are begging to move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reflections Posted May 21, 2013 Author Share Posted May 21, 2013 They usually close off neighborhoods but that tends to be more due to gawkers getting in the way taking photos. But even then they let residents in with their driver's licence. Now they aren't letting anyone in the town at all. It seems odd to me too. I saw something about them clearing reporters from Plaza, did you hear anything about that? I just saw something - local channel 9 I think - that they moved the reporters back because they were bringing in heavy equipment to aid in the search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Regular basements are not that much safer than a closet in a large tornado. We had one in our area last year and many of the fatalities were in the basements- some were sucked out of the basements where they had taken refuge. We used to feel fairly safe in our basement until then. Now, if we ever build a house in a tornado prone area, I will insist on a tornado shelter built into a room or underground. They aren't that expensive if you add them to new constructions. Tornadoes are terrifying. When I was a kid we had one come through our town while we had a babysitter watching us. It was horrible. Our house was fine but a few blocks over it destroyed some houses. "The safest place to be is a reinforced concrete building, but if that’s not an option a basement really is your best bet. An analysis of the Oklahoma twister outbreak of May 1999, which featured an EF5 (i.e., scale-topping monster) tornado, found that out of 40 deaths, 133 severe injuries, and 265 minor injuries, the total harm inflicted on people holed up in basements amounted to just one minor injury. In the Joplin, Missouri area — where the death toll stands at a staggering 155 following the tornado of May 22 — 82 percent of homes had no basements." "In 1966 Joe Eagleman of the University of Kansas studied the wreckage of the EF5 Topeka tornado of that year and concluded that if you had a full basement, the northeast corner was the safest place to be and the south side the most dangerous. Why? External debris knocked down southern walls and blew in through south-facing basement windows; when winds shifted the whole house to the northeast, the southwest corner of the basement was where the upper stories fell in." http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3007/is-your-basement-the-best-shelter-from-a-tornado Being sucked out of a basement is INCREDIBLY rare and it is quite dangerous to tell people to avoid them for a closet. An interior closet would be second best if there is no storm shelter or basement. A safe room in a basement is always safest unless your area is flood-prone. http://www.fema.gov/safe-rooms/frequently-asked-questions-tornado/hurricane-safe-rooms#Q04 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 We have friends in Moore. Thankfully, they are safe! Their home is 1/2 mile from the path of the storm, and my friend pulled her boys from school earlier in the day to have them with her just in case. I believe her youngest goes to Briarwood. She says it it absolutely horrific there. So many prayers going out to those in that area. I cannot even imagine. :crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 We were looking for a house here in Huntsville AL just a month after devastating storms of April 27th 2011 killed almost 200 in AL. We looked at storm paths (because storms do take similar paths sometimes due to geography) and only looked at homes with basements or safe rooms. We currently have a home with a basement and a safe room in that basement (no windows). They can build large safe structures. Several communities here in ALabama got ones that hold over a hundred, courtesy of FEMA. However, with respect to letting kids go home, the very bad tornado that hit HUntsville about 20 years ago happened around school closing times. More people died because of that- some were driving to get kids at school. Those in cars were worse off. Particularly as in our case, the tornado came over the mountain and you couldn't see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Regular basements are not that much safer than a closet in a large tornado. We had one in our area last year and many of the fatalities were in the basements- some were sucked out of the basements where they had taken refuge. We used to feel fairly safe in our basement until then. Now, if we ever build a house in a tornado prone area, I will insist on a tornado shelter built into a room or underground. They aren't that expensive if you add them to new constructions. Tornadoes are terrifying. When I was a kid we had one come through our town while we had a babysitter watching us. It was horrible. Our house was fine but a few blocks over it destroyed some houses. Our house has a walk-out basement and the original builders made an "underground" room (5'x13") and bathroom. They are directly under our front porch and underground on 3 sides - I wonder what kind of reinforcements we'd need to add to make them really safe? Dd14 was babysitting the youngers at our house a couple years ago when a very weak tornado (F0) went through our yard. The memory sure puts her on edge when the weather looks threatening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I grew up in Tornado Alley and live there now. I have never heard anyone recommend against going to the basement, including the National Weather Service, which issues the warnings to take shelter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I have a friend who is the music teacher at Briarwood Elementary. She and her son took cover in a faculty bathroom. The door to bathroom was torn off its hinges and flew into her and broke her foot. Miraculously, though, the door ended up protecting them when the roof collapsed. Her van was in the parking lot and is now missing, but her house and the rest of her family is safe. Her kids are begging to move. I know a family that went through the Greensburg, KS, tornado several years ago, and their daughter has a lot of anxiety during any bad weather now. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninok Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 For those of you in Moore and with friends there, if anyone needs laundry done, or a shower, or a meal or even a place to sleep PM me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I, too, was under the impression Jean lived in Washington State. Were there tornadoes up there too. It is pretty rare in that part. I've been out of town all weekend and did not even check news. No tornadoes here in WA. They are very, very rare here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 No tornadoes here in WA. They are very, very rare here. and only about an EF0 (maybe, maybe) and EF1. so little itty bitty things that are barely worth mentioning. I do recall one couple who fled the midwest because they didn't want to deal with tornados anymore. one developed and took shingles off the corner of their roof. My mother was from tornado country, though none ever went through where they were while she was there. Okay - I actually looked it up. learn something new everyday. apparently a F3 went through near here in 1969 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckles Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 For those of you in Moore and with friends there, if anyone needs laundry done, or a shower, or a meal or even a place to sleep PM me. That's very kind of you. My brother has some water to drink, but he can't bathe etc... He's choosing not to leave his house in Moore because he won't be able to get back in. My SIL picked the kids up early and headed to a storm shelter in Choctaw. My niece's Jr. High was severely damaged. It missed their home by four blocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 As for basements, many places have a water table too high for a standard basement, and the only option is a shelter buried in the yard. I only knew of one family in my neighborhood in Enid that had a shelter like this - they are quite expensive.... Most people there just relied on closets and bathrooms.... I'm reading 3-6K for a small underground shelter that would go in your yard or garage. There are a lot of companies that seem to offer them. Maybe more people will install them now. I guess some people did after the '99 and '03 tornadoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 "The safest place to be is a reinforced concrete building, but if that’s not an option a basement really is your best bet. An analysis of the Oklahoma twister outbreak of May 1999, which featured an EF5 (i.e., scale-topping monster) tornado, found that out of 40 deaths, 133 severe injuries, and 265 minor injuries, the total harm inflicted on people holed up in basements amounted to just one minor injury. In the Joplin, Missouri area — where the death toll stands at a staggering 155 following the tornado of May 22 — 82 percent of homes had no basements." Very few homes in OK have basements so it isn't really a good example. They are extremely rare because the soil is very moist and the water table is high. Also building codes adhere to frost lines and it receives very little snow. Basements are more common in Missouri so the Joplin tornado likely has more basement statistics. in 1999 while the tornado was barreling towards Moore the meteorologists on television were saying quite clearly, "You must be underground or you must leave town. This is a killer tornado." That was the first time they ever said to run. I would certainly prefer a basement to no basement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I'm reading 3-6K for a small underground shelter that would go in your yard or garage. There are a lot of companies that seem to offer them. Maybe more people will install them now. I guess some people did after the '99 and '03 tornadoes. There has been a rebate program for saferooms in that area. it seems the prices are similar. I think I would go with a safe room since flooding basements are a pain in the rear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 There are also companies that make underground shelters that go under the front steps on mobile homes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 There are also companies that make underground shelters that go under the front steps on mobile homes. Really? That is interesting I didn't know that. We never lived in one because I am much too afraid to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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