Severe Weather

[SuzySunshine]

Why do more homes in OK not have basements? Is it because of the ground/dirt/soil? My parents house is on a slab but they have an old storm cellar...

[ladymoreta]

I agree about getting a shelter ASAP. It was so nice knowing we would be safe. There are tornadoes in OK that rip right through the "central closet or bathroom" without leaving anything. I believe our shelter was around $4k, built for 4-6 people. It was the kind that goes in the garage. (You can leave your car in the garage!) We'll probably get one put into our new house here eventually, even though we're not in tornado alley anymore.

My bad... I looked it up, and our shelter was only $2700.

[SoonerTexan]

Frost line and the dirt--it isn't cost effective.

[bokelley]

It is so sad. It makes me ill, to think about all if those poor people.

I heard they had 15 min before it hit, but there is no where to hide from an ef-5.

[SuzySunshine]

I heard they had 15 min before it hit, but there is no where to hide from an ef-5.

No because as a kid we always went into the hallway, sat against the wall and buried our heads - there would have been no protection if the walls came down. So very sad.

[bokelley]

No because as a kid we always went into the hallway, sat against the wall and buried our heads - there would have been no protection if the walls came down. So very sad.

That is the same thing we did. I went to grade school in a small kansas town. We did tornado drills all the time, but looking back we were so vulnerable in the halls.

I wish school had the money to invest in safety structures for our kids. Midwest colleges are just as bad, no where to go.

[ides]

My bad... I looked it up, and our shelter was only $2700.

Bargain! No really we are looking into getting one under the garage. I suggested a much bigger price to dh and he was all elated and expected it to cost much more.

I wish I could find more records before 1950 of Oklahoma tornados. I know there hasn't been one in center city for at least that long, probably for 100 years, but I'd like to know more.

[bokelley]

Moore is only about 7-11 miles away from downtown okc.

[SoonerTexan]

Midwest colleges are just as bad, no where to go.

OU had basements in some of the older buildings. Actually, some of the newer ones too, but there's another example of why basements aren't built there much--the water table is so high that one of those buildings essentially has a constant pump running to keep it standing.

I had my brother's girlfriend park her car in the parking garage on campus earlier today (hail) and they hung out around those buildings just in case. He is the brother who listens. My other brother does not.

[SoonerTexan]

Bargain! No really we are looking into getting one under the garage. I suggested a much bigger price to dh and he was all elated and expected it to cost much more.

You might think about waiting until later this summer or the fall. It's doubtful they will be able to install it in the next few weeks when you could actually maybe need it (I'm sure the demand just went way way way up!) and I'm wondering if prices are going to go up for awhile too...

[diggitydot]

That and most of the peeps who could build it are likely busy as hell rebuilding.

[Pollyanna]

You might think about waiting until later this summer or the fall. It's doubtful they will be able to install it in the next few weeks when you could actually maybe need it (I'm sure the demand just went way way way up!) and I'm wondering if prices are going to go up for awhile too...

The wait time for a shelter in TN during the winter is 2-3 weeks (install takes less than a day). They told me if we waited until April it would be 6-8 week wait. There are sales in the winter but its only a few hundred dollars. I have not seen price gouging during tornado "season".

[Momo]

Fine Marissa, call us crazy/ "delluded" but I would not live in an area that is repeatedly hit by natural disasters.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

So, DH and I hope to have a walk-out basement in our "forever" home. Do we need to build a shelter under the basement (I would assume that we will end up in a tornado-prone area)?? This: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evansvi..._November_2005 was scary-close to his parents house, and they basically had no clue because his family is weather-cocky. There is also 0 place in his parents house to be safe. Scary, scary, scary...

[Momo]

"...it isn't cost effective."

I sure as heck hope the folks, in that area, wake up and realize,after burying those precious children, that it SURE as hell should be considered "cost effective!"