Does anyone know where there are some public storm shelters in the OKC area?I live near French Market Mall, and the other day with dangerous tornadoes approaching I was wishing I had a safe place to go. I know that Edmond opened up their schools but nothing was mentioned about the OKC area.Most of the time you can ride the storms out at home, but there are times that being in a safe shelter could be the difference between life and death.

I think there is a grade school on Independence, just south of NW Expressway. Whether it has a basement or is even opened as a shelter, I do not know.

Read this: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-tornadoes-thousands-sought-refuge-in-public-buildings/article/3571398?custom_click=pod_lead_news

My problem is that I have big dogs.

you might have someone put in a hidey hole if you don't have one. I hated those things when I was little but they do have a purpose.

you might have someone put in a hidey hole if you don't have one. I hated those things when I was little but they do have a purpose.

We have a septic tank and lateral lines on one side of the yard and the propane tank and pipes on the other, leaving the middle of the backyard available to put in one of the things. Husband is refusing to budge on installing one. If we were building, we'd put in a saferoom or an underground one without question. Adding one later is a different ballgame. I can dive into the neighbor's shelter but I am like the people in Katrina - can't leave the hounds. So at the end of the day, if I get blown away in a tornado, it is my own fault. I do wish there was a place to go where I could take the dogs but understand the logistics could be difficult if not impossible when people start showing up with 8 dogs, 14 cats and a lizard.

yeah, nothing worse than someone bringing a lizard to a twister party
LOL

I personally avoid the public shelters because you know it will be like Walmart on Christmas Eve X 10,000. I think the best thing you can do is monitor the weather. When tornadic storm is on the approach, leave the area if you have time. If not, pick the best place you can go in the shortest amount of time. Even if that means hunkering down in a closet with as much stuff on top of you as possible.

I don't think there is a shelter out there that will keep you 100% safe. You run the chance of dying no matter where you go. Sooner or later one of these so called shelter locations will be directly hit and many people inside will die. Those that survive will likely sue the city for negligence. After that, I think most cities will decide to do away with city sactioned shelters and just use them for those who maybe present in that building at the time.

Penny, if nothing else, if there's ample time, you might consider grabbing the pooches and driving downtown to an underground parking garage such as the Cox Communications Center and/or Sheraton Century Center.

They're not comfortable, nor likely handy if the storms crop up too quickly, but could present a viable option.

I hadn't considered an underground parking garage (nor was I aware of one). Thank you, Fritter, Girl. That is an interesting idea although I'm afraid I'd get caught in gridlock and gridlock is the last place I want to be in a storm. My strategy has been to monitor closely and put off the decision to vamoose until it is clear that staying is worse than leaving. So far, I haven't had to go. When you see the kind of damage we had in the last storm and yet of the ten people killed, 6 were in vehicles, it reminds me that as awful as they are, most people survive them. Fortunately, we rarely have the kinds of tornadoes that hit Moore or Joplin in this area. I have a lot of friends who don't live in tornado alley and they are terrified of our storms. I always tell them that the chances are good that the tornado won't hit your county, but if it does, it will miss your neighborhood, but if it does, there is a good chance it will miss your street but if it does, chances are it isn't bad enough to blow away your house. Truth be told, I don't know anyone in all my long, long decades of life who has died in a tornado, had a relative die, has even been injured or has had their house heavily damaged or destroyed. And I don't know of any friends of friends who have had that awful experience, either. Of course it has happened but the point is that the odds are against it. I still wish I had a shelter, though.

I don't think there is a shelter out there that will keep you 100% safe. You run the chance of dying no matter where you go. Sooner or later one of these so called shelter locations will be directly hit and many people inside will die. Those that survive will likely sue the city for negligence.

I understand that has been the trend. I read that there was some flared tempers out in Midwest City at public shelters or places where people demanded to be sheltered. I honesly don't understand people. Is it just me or has courage gone out of style?

I have never liked the idea of a shelter in a garage where there might be a lot of gasoline.

I have never liked the idea of a shelter in a garage where there might be a lot of gasoline.

Most people I know that have bought one in the last 7 years have opted for the garage option. The presence of gasoline doesn't bother me - for one, I don't hoard barrels of gasoline - two, cars don't blow up like in the movies very often.

My issue with garage shelters is the need to move a car outside the garage to get to it - unless you have a 3rd garage.

At one point the TV WX guys were tell us that the tornado was headed for my part of Norman
As I nearly always do when we have plenty of time we drove away from the projected path when threatened with 2 Basset Hounds in tow
This solution isn’t for everyone. We can quickly reach rural areas and stay on paved roads. I have also done some storm chasing and that helps. As someone said no shelter is completely safe. I would rather negotiate the driving hazards than to ride out major Tornado above ground in my home.
However as we have grown a little older we are starting to realize that we may not be able to leave as easily so we will likely build some type of below ground shelter.
If I ever build a house it will be far more tornado resistant than your typical home in OKC.

Most people I know that have bought one in the last 7 years have opted for the garage option. The presence of gasoline doesn't bother me - for one, I don't hoard barrels of gasoline - two, cars don't blow up like in the movies very often.

My issue with garage shelters is the need to move a car outside the garage to get to it - unless you have a 3rd garage.

After May 3, 1999 I can remember seeing several vehicles in their garages that had things like 2 x4’s sticking in their gas tanks. The further away from this hazard the better IMO.

If it’s an option I would much rather put this type of shelter on a covered patio in the back.

Once I was old enough to drive, and thus decide on my own where I'd go, or not go, in bad weather, I've elected to not be underground.
My family has at times elected to seek nearby shelter, but always well in advance of the storm arrival if that was taking place. Generally this would be when I was away traveling. Better safe than sorry was just easier than keeping a watchful eye on the telly, and the sky and the kiddos when they were young.

So far so good. I'd probably see matters differently if I lived in an area far more prone to end up on the news. But all in all, Norman proper is a decent place to ride out most weather systems.

At one point the TV WX guys were tell us that the tornado was headed for my part of Norman
As I nearly always do when we have plenty of time we drove away from the projected path when threatened with 2 Basset Hounds in tow
This solution isn’t for everyone. We can quickly reach rural areas and stay on paved roads. I have also done some storm chasing and that helps. As someone said no shelter is completely safe. I would rather negotiate the driving hazards than to ride out major Tornado above ground in my home.
However as we have grown a little older we are starting to realize that we may not be able to leave as easily so we will likely build some type of below ground shelter.
If I ever build a house it will be far more tornado resistant than your typical home in OKC.

Your position makes better sense than mine when it comes to bugging out because you're heading east into less congested areas. When I head east, I hit the airport, Moore or that wretched stretch of I-44 that is often jammed at rush hour on a slow day... Of course, if the storm is coming from the south, I could also head west if I get ahead of it soon enough.

Several factors to consider here.

Driving away could be more hazardous than staying put in the center of your house. A car is not a safe place in a severe thunderstorm with high winds and hail. What if you're in an accident or the road is blocked with debris or high water or a traffic jam cuz the traffic lights are out? What if you drive into the path of another storm?

Also consider twisters are erratic. They drop down, go back up, veer in another direction, wobble from side to side. The smaller ones affect a narrow stretch of land, only the monsters affect big swaths of land and we get what 1-2 of those a year in the entire state. Even one heading directly towards you a mile away is just as likely to miss you as hit you. They don't go in perfectly straight lines.

Mobile homes are no safer than cars...you must have a designated safe place to go.

My home is brick. My plan is to stay put in the center of our house wearing helmets and covered in blankets to protect from falling debris. We should survive even a direct hit unless it's an F4+. The odds are in my favor.

I'm starting to even question the safety of our home's basement, after seeing some of the homes whose basements were either caved in on, or else had the roof/ceiling torn completely off.

Within a basement, what's the best way to protect oneself from either being sucked out, or from being pummeled by the rest of the house collapsing on you?

My first inclination is to get in the corner furthest away from the path of the storm (which, coincidentally, is also the furthest away from the basement windows), in a corner where two of the concrete stem walls meet. Maybe put a sports helmet on, and then cover with heavy quilts, to avoid loose debris.

Several factors to consider here.

Driving away could be more hazardous than staying put in the center of your house. A car is not a safe place in a severe thunderstorm with high winds and hail. What if you're in an accident or the road is blocked with debris or high water or a traffic jam cuz the traffic lights are out? What if you drive into the path of another storm?

Also consider twisters are erratic. They drop down, go back up, veer in another direction, wobble from side to side. The smaller ones affect a narrow stretch of land, only the monsters affect big swaths of land and we get what 1-2 of those a year in the entire state. Even one heading directly towards you a mile away is just as likely to miss you as hit you. They don't go in perfectly straight lines.

Mobile homes are no safer than cars...you must have a designated safe place to go.

My home is brick. My plan is to stay put in the center of our house wearing helmets and covered in blankets to protect from falling debris. We should survive even a direct hit unless it's an F4+. The odds are in my favor.

There are many factors and traffic congestion is at the top of my list. That’s why I get out of town quickly usually with 15 to 20 minutes to spare. I don’t drive into hazardous WX conditions. Knowing something about storm structures helps. But knowing if the tornadoes are large and strong is a huge part of my decision making process, the odds to leave are better for me. But like I said my solution is not for everyone.

If you’re in a heavily urbanized area driving any distance is probably not the right thing to do for most folks.

Never and I mean never get on an interstate or limited access highway in an urban area during severe weather unless it’s your last option.

Too many folks park under bridges and can completely block traffic.
We need to pass an OK state law and post signs stating that it is illegal to stop under or near a bridge during thunder storms.

Why bother to build a shelter. Do what my neighbors did. My neighbors who have taken vacations since the first of the year to Hawaii, Disney World and Skiing in Colorado and a upcoming vacation to Jamaica. Not to mention a back to school shopping trip to NYC for clothes. They just showed up unannounced and went into my gated backyard with kids, nieces,nephew, sister, sister-n-laws, cousins, a dog and who knows who else. A total of sixteen people. There was not room in my own shelter for me, my loved ones and pets. I sit at home to pay for my shelter and they benefit from it. I wonder if they would get P'd if I showed up on there vacation or ask to have an extra chair delivered to my house from Hemispheres? The kicker is I did not even hear one thank you out of the bunch. Now that is the way to do it. :ohno:

I get out of town quickly usually with 15 to 20 minutes to spare. I don’t drive into hazardous WX conditions. .

I dunno, sounds like russian roulette. Once you're in your vehicle, how do you know another storm isn't developing and will drop a funnel when you're beneath it? Doesn't even have to be a funnel, straight line winds could flip your vehicle.

Also, since the worst storms tend to move easterly in a line, and you decide to drive west to get behind them, how do you know you won't run into downed trees/power lines, etc. blocking the roads from the storms as they passed thru there earlier?

I just have this horrible image in my mind of hundreds of people racing around country roads jockeying for position.

I still say the odds of being hurt in your vehicle are higher than staying put.

My home is brick. My plan is to stay put in the center of our house wearing helmets and covered in blankets to protect from falling debris. We should survive even a direct hit unless it's an F4+. The odds are in my favor.

This has been pretty much been our plan using the same reasoning. I probably need to get a helmet for me and the dogs.

Why bother to build a shelter. Do what my neighbors did. My neighbors who have taken vacations since the first of the year to Hawaii, Disney World and Skiing in Colorado and a upcoming vacation to Jamaica. Not to mention a back to school shopping trip to NYC for clothes. They just showed up unannounced and went into my gated backyard with kids, nieces,nephew, sister, sister-n-laws, cousins, a dog and who knows who else. A total of sixteen people. There was not room in my own shelter for me, my loved ones and pets. I sit at home to pay for my shelter and they benefit from it. I wonder if they would get P'd if I showed up on there vacation or ask to have an extra chair delivered to my house from Hemispheres? The kicker is I did not even hear one thank you out of the bunch. Now that is the way to do it. :ohno:

I don't blame you for being peeved. I am afraid that if I had a shelter and a horde showed up, I'd let some in but wouldn't displace my dogs or family if it came down to it. Of course, if that many showed up, they might just toss me out and take over.

I dunno, sounds like russian roulette. Once you're in your vehicle, how do you know another storm isn't developing and will drop a funnel when you're beneath it? Doesn't even have to be a funnel, straight line winds could flip your vehicle.

Also, since the worst storms tend to move easterly in a line, and you decide to drive west to get behind them, how do you know you won't run into downed trees/power lines, etc. blocking the roads from the storms as they passed thru there earlier?

I just have this horrible image in my mind of hundreds of people racing around country roads jockeying for position.

I still say the odds of being hurt in your vehicle are higher than staying put.

I steer much further away from the storms than you are envisioning. Many times I don’t even get wet.

I leave well before traffic gets hysterical and after leaving town I drive on roads that have very little traffic. Every place I have ever lived I have taken the time to learn the network of rural roads in the area.

I never (anymore) get close to the bears cage. I don’t take the chances that I did when I chased tornados.
My threshold for leaving goes way down at night.

I gas up the day before and drive a very reliable and fast car. Not that I would ever go this fast but the speedometer goes up to 160mph.

I know enough to out flank the developing tornadoes and the other hazards you speak of even if takes driving long distances.


You may live though an EF4- EF5 by riding it out in your closet but the chances of injury is fairly high with a direct hit.

I belive I heard there were about 600 injuries this past Tuesday. I sure a few will be felt for life.

There are very real reasons why several OKC met’s were telling people that they needed to get underground or get out of the way. Mike Morgan was telling us who had enough time to get out of the way. I left before he told my area to get underground or to get out of the way.

With plenty of time if its possible getting out of the way will always be my first choice of action when threaten by the very strong Tornadoes because you are never completely safe even under ground.

I have heard of several examples of where people died in their underground shelters. Most died when a heavy object crushed their underground shelters. I know of one family who after being trapped in the shelter drowned when their shelter slowly fill with water.

In recent years I have never not had plenty of warning time to drive away from the big and strong tornadoes.

Well, both of our methods of coping have risks, neither eliminates it entirely. We tradeoff one risk and accept another.

I also have a fear of being buried alive...I wouldn't want to hide in a basement or cellar where the house will fall in on top of me or cover me and I can't get out. If it were out in the open, that would be ok.

I minimize risk of injury by wearing helmets, actually a construction hard hat for me, and covering up with blankets in the middle bathroom, with the dog & cat. Protecting the head from injury is paramount. That should keep us alive even if a moderate twister pays a personal visit. But if it's an F4+, it's probably our time to go hang with baby Jesus.

Get an underground concrete bunker.

*Pro-tip - they make excellent wine cellars when not used as a shelter and are a great source of liquid courage when they are. :drunk:

It is a good point that although the death rate is low, the injury rate isn't.

People were injured in their vehicles also. You assume the risk of being in an injury accident every time you get behind the wheel. The chances go up when you're on country roads, and up again if rain-slicked.

I'm still pondering ou48a's method...to do what he does, I'd have to leave my home when the NWS issues a Tornado Watch. That's the only way I could get far enuf, early enuf, to avoid risk of being hit and avoid getting caught in another storm or traffic. Is there a statistician in the house to help me answer this question? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqH21LEmfbQ

We have a septic tank and lateral lines on one side of the yard and the propane tank and pipes on the other, leaving the middle of the backyard available to put in one of the things. Husband is refusing to budge on installing one. If we were building, we'd put in a saferoom or an underground one without question. Adding one later is a different ballgame. I can dive into the neighbor's shelter but I am like the people in Katrina - can't leave the hounds. So at the end of the day, if I get blown away in a tornado, it is my own fault. I do wish there was a place to go where I could take the dogs but understand the logistics could be difficult if not impossible when people start showing up with 8 dogs, 14 cats and a lizard.

PQ, I know you live in the Mustang area and I assume you know that the schools have designated storm shelters which are opened for the public. I have no idea what their policy is about bringing pets, however.

PQ, I know you live in the Mustang area and I assume you know that the schools have designated storm shelters which are opened for the public. I have no idea what their policy is about bringing pets, however.

Yup, it always comes down to the hounds. I've been invited to use a neighbor's storm shelter and it is roomy enough for quite a few (including the dogs) but unless they invited them, it would not be my plan to go there. Who knows what I would do if I were in freakout mode and an f4 was bearing down on us? I might jump in with dogs in tow, or possibly run around screaming in terror, leaving the dogs to fend for themselves. Actually, I don't really see the latter happening.

We have an above ground all steel safe room in our garage. I would recommend one if you have the space.

We have an above ground all steel safe room in our garage. I would recommend one if you have the space.

What did that run you and how many folks does it hold?

We built above ground safe rooms in the cabins at the Catholic Youth Camp out near Luther. They were added to the project during construction right after the May 3rd, 1999 tornado outbreak by changing the construction type of one of the restrooms. Solid filled CMU walls anchored into the floor and roof slabs with rebar and hurricane rated exterior grade hollow metal doors.

Why bother to build a shelter. Do what my neighbors did. My neighbors who have taken vacations since the first of the year to Hawaii, Disney World and Skiing in Colorado and a upcoming vacation to Jamaica. Not to mention a back to school shopping trip to NYC for clothes. They just showed up unannounced and went into my gated backyard with kids, nieces,nephew, sister, sister-n-laws, cousins, a dog and who knows who else. A total of sixteen people. There was not room in my own shelter for me, my loved ones and pets. I sit at home to pay for my shelter and they benefit from it. I wonder if they would get P'd if I showed up on there vacation or ask to have an extra chair delivered to my house from Hemispheres? The kicker is I did not even hear one thank you out of the bunch. Now that is the way to do it. :ohno:

time to put a lock on your gate

It of course would always be best to have a home shelter and use it. If that isn't there the typical closet or bathroom. However, there does come a time when you know you should just leave. May 24th was a day when I decided to do that. It was just one of those feelings and every tornado was turning into a large wedge it seemed. Now we find out that the two tornadoes that were coming towards Norman (and the one that hit El Reno to Guthrie) were rated at least EF-4s...with the potential to be bumped up to EF-5s. At that point, I take my pre-planned route based on where the storms are and their movement and go there. Tuesday one cell was going to pass to the west of Norman while the other was coming up just east of 77 through Southern and Eastern Norman. That is where moving over to west Norman was the best chance at avoiding them.

I wouldn't recommend it though unless you are paying very close attention to what is going on and have a bit of instinct to know what you are looking at in the sky. Just go with your gut feeling and make an informed decision. If you can move to an area where you can be reasonably sure you are safe, do it. However, avoid repositioning yourself into a hail core or the path of another storm.

What did that run you and how many folks does it hold?

I have no idea, it was here when we bought the house. To save myself the trouble of trying to take a picture here is one that i found on the internet. The only difference with mine is that its powdercoated grey and it has the door on the front. If you really needed to it could hold 6-8 people but you would be a$$ to elbows but comfortably it could hold a family of 4 and a pet or two. The biggest problem i have with it is that it can easily become a storage place if you dont watch out. Next thing you know you have a chrismas tree, bed frame, and other items that you dont feel like hauling up to the attic. I just have to make a point to go out there and clear it out each april and it sure beats moving out a car out of the garage, sliding open a heavy door, and then going into some underground crawl space.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.protectionshelters.com/photos/garage/5_lg.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.protectionshelters.com/inhouse.html&usg=__XMl47XXdp22Kh-q7m2o2qx-7xBI=&h=300&w=450&sz=13&hl=en&start=123&zoom=1&tbnid=5dg_HddQOCY0sM:&tbnh=158&tbnw=216&ei=e4vjTd2VFcTUgQfm8oXABg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dabove%2Bground%2Bin%2Bgarage%2Btornad o%2Bshelter%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D681%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=595&vpy=407&dur=2923&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=177&ty=124&page=8&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:123&biw=1280&bih=681

Why bother to build a shelter. Do what my neighbors did. My neighbors who have taken vacations since the first of the year to Hawaii, Disney World and Skiing in Colorado and a upcoming vacation to Jamaica. Not to mention a back to school shopping trip to NYC for clothes. They just showed up unannounced and went into my gated backyard with kids, nieces,nephew, sister, sister-n-laws, cousins, a dog and who knows who else. A total of sixteen people. There was not room in my own shelter for me, my loved ones and pets. I sit at home to pay for my shelter and they benefit from it. I wonder if they would get P'd if I showed up on there vacation or ask to have an extra chair delivered to my house from Hemispheres? The kicker is I did not even hear one thank you out of the bunch. Now that is the way to do it. :ohno:

That reminds me of the killer comet episode of the Simpsons. Everybody in town headed to Flanders house and he had leave because the shelter was too full. They all felt guilty and left the shelter to join Ned and face death with him. In the end, the comet burns into a little pebble. The pebble hits the shelter and destroys it.

On seperate note, I have decided I am going to take shelter wherever I am close to when one of these things hits. Most of these large tornados have smaller tornados along with them that go unreported because they are watching the larger tornado. All you can do is hope and pray you make it through it. As said earlier, it is just a matter of time before a Tornado hits one of the large structures where people have fled for shelter. When that happens people are going die from the storm and from people freaking out and going crazy trampling on each other trying to get out of shelter after the storm. I guess people seem to have forgotten what can happen people try to rush into a place. The Cincinatti Who concert should remind everyone why facilities have capacity limits and why entry and exit controls have to be in place.

I don't know how effective a safe room is vs. an f-4 or 5. Ideal thing for nights when smaller twisters are occurring. My family evacuated when Mr. Morgan announced there was a tornado forming over Union City. Five people, five vehicles, five dogs, two ferrets, two guinea pigs, a cockatiel and a bearded dragon. We moved at 90 degrees to the storm path, found a place where we could watch the southwest, listened to the radio and watched the radar. When he rotation line had passed, we returned.
There is new technology housing that would be much safer in a storm than traditional stick techniques. More energy efficient too. Costs are similar. I intend to build one of those in h next five years.

I don't know how effective a safe room is vs. an f-4 or 5. Ideal thing for nights when smaller twisters are occurring. My family evacuated when Mr. Morgan announced there was a tornado forming over Union City. Five people, five vehicles, five dogs, two ferrets, two guinea pigs, a cockatiel and a bearded dragon. We moved at 90 degrees to the storm path, found a place where we could watch the southwest, listened to the radio and watched the radar. When he rotation line had passed, we returned.
There is new technology housing that would be much safer in a storm than traditional stick techniques. More energy efficient too. Costs are similar. I intend to build one of those in h next five years.

There are various kinds of safe rooms and the safety versus wind speed can vary depending on how it is constructed. A quality well constructed safe room should fare quite well against an F5.

There are various kinds of safe rooms and the safety versus wind speed can vary depending on how it is constructed. A quality well constructed safe room should fare quite well against an F5.

Always best to start with...a deep hole in the ground.

Always best to start with...a deep hole in the ground.

Of course that's the safest but I have lived in a house where the closet in the master bedroom was a safe room. It was solid six inch thick concrete and I would feel perfectly safe there in any tornado.

The only thing that concerns me with a closet safe room is it's high profile. If the storm is big enough and take the ous off the foundation, you are exposed. If it can lift and throw a loaded semi truck, then it worries me ghat it can pull up that closet. I think it would be better if it was at least partially buried in the ground. Of course this only applies to the really big storms.

The only thing that concerns me with a closet safe room is it's high profile. If the storm is big enough and take the ous off the foundation, you are exposed. If it can lift and throw a loaded semi truck, then it worries me ghat it can pull up that closet. I think it would be better if it was at least partially buried in the ground. Of course this only applies to the really big storms.

I guarantee that I felt perfectly safe in that closest although I only went in there a couple of times when storms approached. It was as solid as a bank vault. There hasn't been a tornado that would have had any affect on it. If a loaded semi truck had a continous concrete connection to a concrete foundation it wouldn't be picked up.
This probably wasn't an F5 but shows you what happens anyway.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7367399n

You can build an above ground structure that could withstand a F5, I bet that if Ace Pawn at NW 23rd & May had been hit by a F5 tornado the vault would have stayed standing. I remember watching them try to demo that after the rest of the building was razed, a wrecking ball busted the concrete finish but barely anything more than that. They finally had to cut it up to take it down.