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.

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.

This is a perfectly valid question. I'm a lifelong resident and I can say, fortunately, that I have never been directly affected by a tornado. My suggestion is to get a storm shelter for your own sense of safety.

This is a perfectly valid question. I'm a lifelong resident and I can say, fortunately, that I have never been directly affected by a tornado. My suggestion is to get a storm shelter for your own sense of safety.

Same for me. I've only seen a tornado in person once and that was back in the 50's. Although I don't currently have a shelter where I live, I have had one in most of the places I've lived and it's very comforting. I do have a tornado plan in place though.

I agree with soonerguru, I would get a storm shelter. I think a lot of people in Moore/South OKC are feeling the same way as you after either getting hit or almost getting hit at least 3 times in the past 15 years.

Far more people die from far more common random violent acts ranging from car accidents to mother nature.

Heat and drought kill more people than tornadoes. Harsh summers, winters and flooding rank higher than tornadoes too. Lightening kills almost as many people as tornadoes.

Earthquakes actually kill very few people.

I think its more psychological than anything else. If it wasn't for the over the top news coverage, it probably wouldn't rank so high in your fear factor.

Pay attention to the weather, have a shelter and/or a plan to flee the immediate area and carry insurance.

Far more people die from far more common random violent acts ranging from car accidents to mother nature.

Heat and drought kill more people than tornadoes. Harsh summers, winters and flooding rank higher than tornadoes too. Lightening kills almost as many people as tornadoes.

Earthquakes actually kill very few people.

I think its more psychological than anything else. If it wasn't for the over the top news coverage, it probably wouldn't rank so high in your fear factor.

Pay attention to the weather, have a shelter and/or a plan to flee the immediate area and carry insurance.

All of this. I have lived in OK for 32 years...my entire life...and have never even seen a tornado in person, only on TV. The last nearly 15 years of that in the OKC metro area, mind you. I know it's traumatizing, and I have had my share of tornado-themed nightmares, but it is no reason, to me, to move. Anywhere you go, some sort of natural disaster can strike. You usually know what days are going to be good for severe weather. You have some warning before hurricanes. Blizzards, ice storms, heat waves...they all have some warning time. What matters is what you do to be prepared.

Far more people die from far more common random violent acts ranging from car accidents to mother nature.

Heat and drought kill more people than tornadoes. Harsh summers, winters and flooding rank higher than tornadoes too. Lightening kills almost as many people as tornadoes.

Earthquakes actually kill very few people.

I think its more psychological than anything else. If it wasn't for the over the top news coverage, it probably wouldn't rank so high in your fear factor.

Pay attention to the weather, have a shelter and/or a plan to flee the immediate area and carry insurance.

This is all true.
But, it is very hard to get past the psychological factor aside when you have seen all the destruction, not once but twice.

This is all true.
But, it is very hard to get past the psychological factor aside when you have seen all the destruction, not once but twice.

I would agree. I would also agree with BBatesokc's comments if I was living anywhere in tornado alley but OKC. Like I said though, it seems like this is the ground zero for tornado alley. Tornadoes are not only far more frequent in Central Oklahoma but much stronger as well. What if you lived at the base of a volcano you knew was going to erupt every year or two? Even if the loss of life is relatively low, there is still the higher chance of losing everything.

1.3 million people live here though and have for a long time.

Lot of good comments here. I think a lot of it comes down to understanding and respecting nature as well. I remember being a young child seeing my first tornado back north and freaking out. Then I come here and made it a point to get close (with in reason) to observe the life cycle of them.

Yes there is a fear of losing everything but I stop to think about the insurance policy on it all...and if it happens it happens. Weather is nothing to be feared. Getting a storm shelter would probably help in dealing with the anxiety, but it's also going to come down to dealing with your fear of losing any material possessions. Do what you need to protect yourself and those you care about and let the chips fall where they will with the rest.

This is a perfectly valid question. I'm a lifelong resident and I can say, fortunately, that I have never been directly affected by a tornado. My suggestion is to get a storm shelter for your own sense of safety.

That's what I knew I had to have done when I built a new house in 2004. Tornadoes warnings are still stressful.

Yes there is a fear of losing everything but I stop to think about the insurance policy on it all...and if it happens it happens. Weather is nothing to be feared. Getting a storm shelter would probably help in dealing with the anxiety, but it's also going to come down to dealing with your fear of losing any material possessions. Do what you need to protect yourself and those you care about and let the chips fall where they will with the rest.

Correct, Venture. Besides having a tornado plan I also have a plan about what I need to be sure to have with me. That would be my prescriptions, my wallet, etc. I have a list of my household possessions stored along with pictures of them that I can access from any computer.

I saw it posted somewhere else that people from outside Tornado Alley fear storms more than the people who live here and have to deal with it every year. The storms can be nerve racking and downright traumatizing for people not used to them, but once you have a plan of action on what to do it is not so scary. There are people who rode out this storm and are alive and well because they had a plan. Make sure you have proper insurance and have documented all of your possessions.

I also think one needs to keep it in perspective. Tornadoes are dramatic and spectacular events, but their footprint is pretty limited compared to most natural disasters. I don't want to take anything away from suffering tornado victims, but there were 13,000 homes affected by the storms, out of over a half million in metro OKC. In comparison, there were 400,000 homes damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, 450,000 in the Northridge Earthquake in LA, and 1.2 million by Katrina.

I have seen about a dozen tornados in Oklahoma. I grew up in a town that was paranoid about tornadoes with good reason and as a result I spent countless hours as a kid in the basement on several dozen occasions. This made me want to learn more and face my childhood fears.

We as human’s have a great tendency to fear most what we least understand. This creates much of the anxiety.

Many people can lower their anxiety levels by become much better educated about tornado behavior and their prime conditions.
This along with taking a few basic steps to physically protect yourself, family and your home, along with good insurance is about the best that most people can do. But spiritual guidance helps many. A proactive approach is always best.

Beyond that, in many cases, what doesn’t kill you usually makes you a stronger and a more mature person who can more easily help others who maybe in need.

It's an interesting question. I have pretty much zero anxiety during tornado season. A lot of that comes from having lived here my whole life. I'm so used to it, I don't even think much about it.

But there's more to it than that. My mom has also lived her whole life in Oklahoma, and she's scared to death every year this time of year. But she's a chronic worrier -- about pretty much everything, not just weather. I'm not a worrier at all. Whereas she is a very emotional person, I'm very rational and cool headed. I'm more the scientific type. I was greatly fascinated by severe weather as a kid and read up on it all the time. I feel reasonably informed, though not a weather guru by any means. Knowledge can make you more confident.

Despite having lived all my life here in tornado alley, I've only seen one in person -- the one that hit the Fairfield addition in west Edmond, about 1987 I think. Saw it briefly for about 30 seconds before it moved out of view. I was over a mile away and didn't feel any great concern while watching it. More like excitement as in "wow, I finally get to see one". Although I have never storm chased, I could have seen myself doing that. My reaction to severe weather tends to be more interest than fear.

So part of it is your natural personality. Worriers will probably never be at peace here. But becoming well informed and having contingency plans can help considerably, I'm sure.

From time to time I happen to chance into a conversation with someone who has moved here from elsewhere (e.g. California) and they express a whole lot of concern about tornadoes. My natural inclination is to tell them "Oh don't worry. It's no big deal. It's really overblown". But I don't say that because... who knows, they just might be one of the unlucky ones that has a direct encounter.

It also could be said that a lot of my calmness comes from never having had to deal with a direct hit from a tornado. I'm sure that makes a psychological effect that is hard, if not impossible, to shake. Maybe one day I'll experience one directly and my cool, rational attitude will change to something else.

I also think one needs to keep it in perspective. Tornadoes are dramatic and spectacular events, but their footprint is pretty limited compared to most natural disasters. I don't want to take anything away from suffering tornado victims, but there were 13,000 homes affected by the storms, out of over a half million in metro OKC. In comparison, there were 400,000 homes damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, 450,000 in the Northridge Earthquake in LA, and 1.2 million by Katrina.

I do agree with this. However, I want to add that it will probably be decades before there is another Sandy or Katrina. Hurricane Andrew was catastrophic for Miami, but South Florida hasn't seen anything like it since. There hasn't been a devastating earthquake in SoCal since 1994.

However, another F5 tornado in OKC could happen this week. That makes it all the more scary to deal with. With a hurricane, I have days to gather essential belongings and get out of dodge. That also gives people time to mentally prepare for whats coming, which is something you cannot underestimate. With a tornado, if its anything like May 20th, you have 15 minutes and you've gone from a beautiful blue-skied day to total devastation.

I live in an apartment by the way and am a natural worrier. Getting a shelter isn't an option and part of me would rather try to move somewhere safer rather than buy a house here. Maybe I'm overblowing it but having seen May 3, 1999 and May 20, 2013, I can't help it.

I do agree with this. However, I want to add that it will probably be decades before there is another Sandy or Katrina. Hurricane Andrew was catastrophic for Miami, but South Florida hasn't seen anything like it since. There hasn't been a devastating earthquake in SoCal since 1994.

However, another F5 tornado in OKC could happen this week. That makes it all the more scary to deal with. With a hurricane, I have days to gather essential belongings and get out of dodge. That also gives people time to mentally prepare for whats coming, which is something you cannot underestimate. With a tornado, if its anything like May 20th, you have 15 minutes and you've gone from a beautiful blue-skied day to total devastation.

It is about being prepared and then being ready to move to a place of safety. We can't sit here and worry about the next thunderstorm spawning a strong tornado.

I do agree with this. However, I want to add that it will probably be decades before there is another Sandy or Katrina. Hurricane Andrew was catastrophic for Miami, but South Florida hasn't seen anything like it since. There hasn't been a devastating earthquake in SoCal since 1994.

However, another F5 tornado in OKC could happen this week. That makes it all the more scary to deal with. With a hurricane, I have days to gather essential belongings and get out of dodge. That also gives people time to mentally prepare for whats coming, which is something you cannot underestimate. With a tornado, if its anything like May 20th, you have 15 minutes and you've gone from a beautiful blue-skied day to total devastation.

I live in an apartment by the way and am a natural worrier. Getting a shelter isn't an option and part of me would rather try to move somewhere safer rather than buy a house here. Maybe I'm overblowing it but having seen May 3, 1999 and May 20, 2013, I can't help it.

Please note how many EF5 tornadoes have hit Oklahoma since 1950.

F5 and EF5 Tornadoes of the United States - 1950-present (SPC) (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/f5torns.html)

That's a total of 7. The odds are not good for more anytime soon, but who knows?

Please note how many major hurricanes have hit Florida during the same period.

History of Hurricanes for Southern Florida, Past 100 Years (http://pparker.org/hurricanes/hurricane_history.htm)

It's 7 and hurricanes affect much larger areas. Your chances of being directly affected by a hurricane in Florida are considerably higher than being affected by a tornado in Oklahoma. Of course the warning time for a hurricane is much longer but with a plan in place there is no reason to feel unsafe.

Everyone deals with fear and anxiety in different ways, however. If it's a life altering concern for you, you should move.

I'm sure you've heard the joke, but I believe it to be true; most Oklahoman's are like junior meteorologists.

The bottom line is that the storms that carry tornado's can be very predictable. Last Monday night we were given notice that the next night could possibly carry a big tornado, and to no surprise, the tornado showed itself. The weather technology that we have in place, and the many advances of such technology, have given new light to weather prediction. Does that mean that every warning we receive in advance should be taken to heart and that a tornado will appear, no. It is a safe bet to be ready and review your safety plans with family and friends.

I lost my great-grandfather and his wife Patty in the May 3rd tornado, the 2008 tornado saw to it to destroy the houses of friends and barely missed family. This tornado however destroyed friends and family members homes. Does any of this stop me from living here? The answer is No. Our weather stations around here prove to be life saving, just as the nation has got to see in the past week what we see every tornado season, seasoned professionals doing ground breaking work on the fly to keep us safe.

Sure, there is still a chance I could be hit by a tornado, but where ever I go, there will always be something that 'could' happen.

bcris02, I don't know if this will help or hurt, but go back and read what bbates wrote. Then read it again.
The reality is, multi day 24 hour a day coverage aside, you likely face a greater risk to loss of life going to and from work and simply living your life every day.

I've been in various locations in OK for nearly all of the past five decades. I've lost far more friends to accidents, firearms, alcohol and violence than I have to weather. Over time I've endured a botched robbery out of state at a place of business, a successful armed robbery in state years ago, my home broken into once, my parents twice, car break-ins, property stolen overnight, a hit and run on my car once, an accident or three, and more near misses than I can count over the years.

A different mood or a few seconds either way creating the parties in a bit of a different position could have made a lot of things far worse than they were.

Best to just not dwell on it, and use the energy to keep your awareness levels tuned.

Last week a former Girl Scout and her hubby lost their home but fortunately not each other. A dear friend of my lovely walked out of Plaza Tower school alive and her young adult child walked out of what had been their two story family home alive, with only minimal scratches. I'm grateful for their safety and we gladly assist them in going forward anew.

I don't have answers, beyond stay calm, be thankful for the good in life, and share some kindness with others whenever possible.

I think if one wants to justify a move out of the State, weather is one that many use. The reality is natural disasters, crime, extreme heat or cold happens in some form and relative frequency everywhere. Blizzards, floods, mega snow, etc. what GODs universe does is out of our control. Yes, when a tornado of the magnitude of the one just experienced happens it is dramatic and heartbreaking, but, preparation is key. Go about the business of living but when severe weather threatens be prepared and react.

When I was quite young our home in Edmond was hit by a tornado. The May 3rd tornado wiped out most of our neighborhood and did significant damage to our home and we were without electricity for 3-4 weeks. The smaller tornado (the day before the Moore tornado) hit our neighborhood in Edmond and a 3-4 story 50-year old tree fell on our home.

I've never considered moving.

In realty I face a more realistic chance of death from the hundreds of motorists whizzing by me in all directions at 60+ MPH only inches away and most likely talking on their phones and/or texting. Nowhere I move can I really get away from that very real danger.

I've also never had a home with a storm shelter. I either shelter in place or flee.

With today's technology it would be extremely rare for a tornado to just 'pop up' and hit you without warning.

I used to have some anxiety over the thought of a tornado in the middle of the night. But not anymore. Between my NOAA weather radio with audible alarm and and my smart phone alert apps, I'd be warned if that should happen.

The one thing I do own is a large enough, heavy enough antique safe bolted to my foundation that can hold anything I feel I can't replace or would need right away (documents, keys, computer hard drive back up, etc.).

We keep a home inventory digitally that has a listing, and often a pic, of every valuable thing we own. Also, every photo I'd ever want has been backed up digitally to the cloud and a portable hard drive. I also make it a habit to simply walk around my home once a year and tape everything in it should I need it to provide to insurance.

We also keep an insurance policy that would provide all the funds needed to repair or replace our home and all of its contents.

Once you take the time to put tornadoes in perspective and the time to have a plan to protect yourself and your valuables, there really isn't much to have anxiety over.

We've fled our home more than once and I crossed my fingers it wouldn't be there when we returned. I've personally known several people who lost their homes either to tornado or fire and in all cases they were better off for it after they got beyond the initial month or two - new house, new stuff and lost all the clutter.

It's an interesting question. I have pretty much zero anxiety during tornado season. A lot of that comes from having lived here my whole life. I'm so used to it, I don't even think much about it.

It also could be said that a lot of my calmness comes from never having had to deal with a direct hit from a tornado. I'm sure that makes a psychological effect that is hard, if not impossible, to shake. Maybe one day I'll experience one directly and my cool, rational attitude will change to something else.These two line fit me also. I've lived here my entire 54 years. I've never seen a tornado. Closest I've ever been was in the mid 60s when a small tornado did some damage to a car lot and a couple of fast food places on NW 36th & May. We were about 4 blocks NE of there that night. I really don't think about the possibility of a tornado actually hitting where I am. My wife has pushed for the last few years for a storm shelter but I haven't given in yet. Maybe someday.

I am very late to this thread, as I decided to take a computer-free day yesterday, but I'd like to chime in with my own $0.02.

The key for anything that causes stress and anxiety is to identify that line at which whatever that thing is starts to control you, versus you controlling the fear and anxiety.

I've lived in Oklahoma for 48.2 of my 48.7 years, and in SW OKC in particular. I'm not sure anyone ever gets used to the idea of tornadoes; but what I think most do is manage the risk. When I was a kid, I was literally terrified of spring weather. I remember the tornado watch maps on TV with the big red boxes covering the state and how it would make my stomach knot up. I'd be afraid for our family to leave the house even if only a thunderstorm watch were issued. My dad, being from Maine, didn't understand any of it, and he'd get furious with me for my reaction, but then again, he got furious at most anything. As I got older, I began to realize the TV folks had a vested interest in at least stoking the anxiety to keep people watching. And then I decided to start learning about the weather. That's how I started managing my own risk.

I'm no meteorologist, but I can comfortably assess what's coming up in the next day or so. I can look at a radar and know when my area is at risk and when it isn't. My mom has a storm shelter, and she's only about 4 miles away from us, and I know in most cases I'll be able to make a judgment about when to pack everyone in the car and head to her house. And that's led me not to get a shelter for our own house. And I've done the best I can to get the right kind of insurance for the house in the event the worst does, in fact, happen.

I think bbates made some great points about the other kinds of risk most of us just take for granted, eg highway driving, fires, violence, etc etc. And that's because, for the greater part, have done this same thing - we've learned to manage those risks within reason as best we can and not let the anxiety overtake us. Even with that said, I know my wife is even less concerned about the weather than am I (and she will even get a bit annoyed at my occasional caution), so in that vein it balances out for our family. Also, I try as best I can to put those fears in God's hands and realize that, ultimately, I'm in control of none of it, and thus my anxiety over it isn't very useful.

All this is to say, yes, there are risks, and the best any of us can do is to get a bit more educated about when the risks are more real and immediate than perceived, and manage them as best we can. Just never let the fear overtake you. I contrast the devastation of the last week to those myriad days here when I've awakened to a beautiful, blue, cloudless sky and been thankful to live here as a result. I believe God encourages me to understand there are more of the latter ahead, just as there have been more of those than devastation in days past.

Hope that makes some sense.

Not to be too harsh here, but getting hit by a tornado is extremely rare. You have to have some absorption of the science behind it. Think about it - the may 18th tornado killed 24 people. Twenty-four. That is remarkable considering the size and path. Yes hundreds sustained an injury of some type, but the numbers today for loss of life is much lower than they would be in the past. The exception would be when large numbers of people die in the areas where stellar storm coverage is absent (southeastern US April, 2011) - But that was a multi day event with outrageous numbers of supercells.


Believe it or not, many storm chasers TRY to get near tornadoes and cannot. There are even some that attempt to "intercept" them in armored vehicles. If you follow or pay attention to any of these types of chasers - it is a big deal to get close to one. And this is what they do for a living/hobby.


It is fair to be afraid. But to let it affect your way of life during the Spring is borderline ridiculous. Again I am not trying to be a jerk about it - but you live in the one place in the world where you cannot get better warning/coverage of storms. Oklahoma and Oklahoma City proper blow the competition away in personell and technology.

...You live in the one place in the world where you cannot get better warning/coverage of storms. Oklahoma and Oklahoma City proper blow the competition away in personnel and technology.

This X 1000.

I was down in Orlando for vacation a few years ago, and afternoon summer thunderstorms are as common there as teenage acne. They usually pop up, dump a pile of rain and thunder, then move on. However, one day while we were there, one storm moved over Orlando and headed toward Cape Kennedy, and apparently a little impulse in the Gulf gave this particular storm quite a boost such that it started rotating, and it dropped a tornado along the beach near there. Local weather there did not go wall-to-wall; there was no on-the-ground tracking; one station cut into local TV with a general radar location of the tornado. Only after the storm had passed into the Atlantic did they find that the tornado, while trivial in size and scope compared to what we just went through up here, did considerable damage in that area (including some to the space center, but I don't recall with certainty).

All that is to say that the intensity of tornado coverage and warning in other parts of the country just isn't like it is here. Florida is geared up for hurricanes with multiple days of notice, not tornadoes that spin up out of storms in just a few minutes.

This X 1000.

I was down in Orlando for vacation a few years ago, and afternoon summer thunderstorms are as common there as teenage acne. They usually pop up, dump a pile of rain and thunder, then move on. However, one day while we were there, one storm moved over Orlando and headed toward Cape Kennedy, and apparently a little impulse in the Gulf gave this particular storm quite a boost such that it started rotating, and it dropped a tornado along the beach near there. Local weather there did not go wall-to-wall; there was no on-the-ground tracking; one station cut into local TV with a general radar location of the tornado. Only after the storm had passed into the Atlantic did they find that the tornado, while trivial in size and scope compared to what we just went through up here, did considerable damage in that area (including some to the space center, but I don't recall with certainty).

All that is to say that the intensity of tornado coverage and warning in other parts of the country just isn't like it is here. Florida is geared up for hurricanes with multiple days of notice, not tornadoes that spin up out of storms in just a few minutes.

Good point about Florida. They actually experience more tornadoes than Oklahoma does in numbers. The difference is most of their tornadoes are of the 'weak' variety. They are much easier to live with than the F4/F5 tornadoes we get in Oklahoma.

I'm not changing my tornado preparation/reaction tactics. Although I've lived here my entire life, I have never seen a tornado. I have seen lives lost when people did everything right (taking shelter below ground), and when they did nothing right (drive into the storm unaware of its presence).

I will continue to be weather aware, keep the bug-out bag handy, keep good insurance in place, and if a tornado is minutes away, decide if my best option is to shelter in place, shelter underground at a church a few blocks away, or leave the area by car.

I also accept that each day is a gift, and no-one is guaranteed that they'll get to see it's end.

Good point about Florida. They actually experience more tornadoes than Oklahoma does in numbers. The difference is most of their tornadoes are of the 'weak' variety. They are much easier to live with than the F4/F5 tornadoes we get in Oklahoma.

This is a statistic that I really don't care for too much. Florida is only in the lead when you break it down per 10,000 miles. When you do that the list takes on a weird order. Kansas falls into 2nd, then Maryland (?!), Illinois, Mississippi, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Alabama and then Louisiana. However, if we want to look at actual numbers since 1950 the order is Texas (8117), Kansas (3831), Oklahoma (3472), and then Florida (3139). Those are through 2012.

The OKC metro area specifically has had 554 tornadoes from 1950-2012. During that entire stretch we've lost 83 lives and injuries amounting to 583 people. During that time frame we have had 5 F5/EF5 and 14 F4/EF4 tornadoes. So when you look at the grand scheme of things, we see a lot of tornadoes but only a handful are significant/violent and we have done a pretty good job at keeping people safe.

The stats are available here (with a map): http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/custom/2756941

The big thing here I want to point out. Out of every tornado we've had through the end of last year, all 554, only 19 caused fatal injuries. The odds are definitely well in your favor as long as you take the proper precautions and don't do anything risky.

I'm not changing my tornado preparation/reaction tactics. Although I've lived here my entire life, I have never seen a tornado. I have seen lives lost when people did everything right (taking shelter below ground), and when they did nothing right (drive into the storm unaware of its presence).


What happened to the lives underground in a shelter? Did they get sucked out, or heavy debris caved the shelter in?

I've been through a tornado while a passenger in a car while fleeing for shelter. I heard the dreaded roar along with a pounding noise upon the car suddenly come up. At the same time, noticed a roof on a business start peeling off and sucked straight up. But got rudely interrupted from the sight seeing from the winds loudly blasting out the driver's window. Second nature told be to instantly get my head down. I felt the car wobble, but it stayed grounded and everyone was okay. Not so okay with the car. The side of it that faced the tornado looked like it got sandblasted, besides that window blown out. At least one pickup got turned on its side. Lesson learned: It's probably too late to flee in a car from a tornado for shelter after spotting debris high in the air.

Far more people die from far more common random violent acts ranging from car accidents to mother nature.

Heat and drought kill more people than tornadoes. Harsh summers, winters and flooding rank higher than tornadoes too. Lightening kills almost as many people as tornadoes.

Earthquakes actually kill very few people.

I think its more psychological than anything else. If it wasn't for the over the top news coverage, it probably wouldn't rank so high in your fear factor.

Pay attention to the weather, have a shelter and/or a plan to flee the immediate area and carry insurance.

Yes. It's unlikely that one's house will get by a tornado. The odds of a direct hit of an EF5 torando to your house are negligible... one in over a million. Could you get damage? Of course. 99.9% of the time, you'll survive, as will your house. Get house and content insurance. Don't drive around in storms. Take cover and take warnings seriously.

Cars, stairs, bathtubs, house fires, and similar accidents are more common.

No matter where you live, there are risks. Floods, mudslides, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, droughts, lightning, break-ins, wildfires, wreckless drivers, and more. The midwest has plenty of warnings, but thankfully we usually survive tornado warnings.

Yes. It's unlikely that one's house will get by a tornado. The odds of a direct hit of an EF5 torando to your house are negligible... one in over a million. Could you get damage? Of course. 99.9% of the time, you'll survive, as will your house. Get house and content insurance. Don't drive around in storms. Take cover and take warnings seriously.

Cars, stairs, bathtubs, house fires, and similar accidents are more common.

No matter where you live, there are risks. Floods, mudslides, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, droughts, lightning, break-ins, wildfires, wreckless drivers, and more. The midwest has plenty of warnings, but thankfully we usually survive tornado warnings.

Another point is that they have been taking this "You have to be below ground to survive," even though the evidence doesn't show this at all. Thousands of people survived the May 3rd and May 20th tornadoes and they weren't all underground. In fact, few of them were. So, to continue to say this only encourages people to get in their cars and find an underground shelter, rather than take the precautions at home that saved thousands in two EF5 tornadoes (May 3, 1999/May 20, 2013.)

Like so many on this thread, I have lived here my whole life. I think my previous history of panic attacks started as a small child when we ran to the cellar every time a storm threatened. Mind you, those were the days (early-mid 1960s) before fancy radar that pinpoints tornadoes down to the precise point of touch down. We had no idea what was in the storms. My mother was frightened to death of storms, and I think I "fed" off of her fear. As an adult, I have the utmost respect for storms and do not treat their threat in a cavalier manner. However, I am not fearful. We have a basement and take precautions. Last night, I made sure that precious family photos, etc. were safe. We stayed above ground with our eyes fixed on the television, and were ready to sprint down the stairs at a moment's notice.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that this is all I have ever known and it is normal for me. I have no desire to live anywhere else. Oklahoma's positives far outweigh the negatives.

Another point is that they have been taking this "You have to be below ground to survive," even though the evidence doesn't show this at all. Thousands of people survived the May 3rd and May 20th tornadoes and they weren't all underground. In fact, few of them were. So, to continue to say this only encourages people to get in their cars and find an underground shelter, rather than take the precautions at home that saved thousands in two EF5 tornadoes

This is a good point. It drives me crazy when anyone drives more than a mile or so to seek alternate shelter, unless they know they're significantly ahead of the storm and know exactly where they're going. And even then it can be risky since you could be driving into the path of the storm, as many people from the west side of the metro did last night.

By all means I think people should know ahead of time where in their immediate area there are storm shelters or basements they can go to if a big storm is expected to hit. But regardless of whether or not there is such a place near you, develop the best shelter in place strategy that you can. If you plan ahead and know what you're doing, it should even get you through an EF5.

Raise your hand if you had at least one relative respond with "Why what's up?"' when you called to tell them to duck last night

Until my "road trip" last night I had know idea how many storm chasers/video makers are out in this kind of weather. Some even had tourists with them.

Every spring, I am more terrified about the prospect of my homeowners insurance skyrocketing again than I am about tornadoes.

Until my "road trip" last night I had know idea how many storm chasers/video makers are out in this kind of weather. Some even had tourists with them.

Yep. Most of them blatantly violate just about every traffic regulation in the book during their outings too.

Yep. Most of them blatantly violate just about every traffic regulation in the book during their outings too.

Yes, they were mostly rude on the road. Passing unsafely and driving down the side of the road. All part of the excitement I guess.

I moved here when I was 12 from the east coast. I saw my first "live" tornado within a year. It didn't directly affect us, but just seeing it in person was very nerve-wracking (and awe-inspiring). While my sister, mom, and I were very scared, my dad knew what was happening and that there was no danger to us at the time and turned it into an educational opportunity. He explained to us where it was going (away from us), and how and why they form. That helped me a lot - realizing that severe weather like this deserves a healthy dose of respect, but not an inordinate amount of fear if you kept your head about you and knew what to do.

I think I handle tornado season the same as many others here have already stated - being prepared, being knowledgeable about how tornadoes work and having good situational awareness. In most cases, we all have plenty of warning ahead of time and can take steps to be prepared. We all joke about how our weather-people are so "excitable", and there is a lot of that, but they do a phenomenal job and are invaluable during this time of year. I've been in other areas of the country during stormy weather and the differences in the detail of coverage is stunning. I can also say that having a storm shelter makes a huge difference in my peace of mind. They are money well spent for that reason alone. I have a "bug-out" bag I prepare every spring with things that are most important to me to take into the shelter - portable safe with important papers, external hard drive with backups of important data, a few small, irreplaceable items, etc. All this planning and preparedness and the attitude that "things" aren't really important and can be replaced, goes a long way toward making tornado season much more tolerable for me.

That said, I've never had my house's foundation scrubbed clean by a tornado, so I'm not sure how I would feel after something like that happens. Even if you are in a safe place during the event, the aftermath has to be very traumatizing.

They can be very traumatizing events on individual lives and to the economy. We can prevent some of both by building smarter. In the long run smarter construction easily pays for its self even if it’s only though lower insurance rates.

I don’t believe the image of not doing all we can do to protect our self’s has anything but a negative impact on our states efforts to recruit new talent and new business to Oklahoma.

Yep. Most of them blatantly violate just about every traffic regulation in the book during their outings too.

As a chaser, I take issue with this. I've never broken a traffic law (that I am aware of) and I know others who are the same. There are certain high profile ones that do this and give everyone a bad name, and I think more public shaming from others in the chasing community is desirable (nothing like a good public shaming!). There are plenty of research scientists who are chasers and hobbyists who aren't rude idiots on the road.

As a chaser, I take issue with this. I've never broken a traffic law (that I am aware of) and I know others who are the same. There are certain high profile ones that do this and give everyone a bad name, and I think more public shaming from others in the chasing community is desirable (nothing like a good public shaming!). There are plenty of research scientists who are chasers and hobbyists who aren't rude idiots on the road.

Agree. When I was activity chasing, I made one mistake that I still remember. That was pulling out in front of someone on a highway in western OK when they were doing 65 mph. Stupid move I didn't look behind me well enough and luckily it wasn't worse. I would probably be labeled one of the boneheads back then.

We shouldn't lump everyone into the same group as those shouting and hooting on videos. If I was Brandon Sullivan, I think that's his name, for instance. I wouldn't be worried about uploading my video onto YouTube with in an hour of being hit by a tornado, not to mention lining up interviews on major news networks and TWC. Pure example of someone who is out for the fame and money, not for the science or warning of the public. It is amazing how quiet it was listening to the OKC repeater. 5-10 years ago that frequency would have been packed with storm reports coming in from spotters and chasers. All things must change I guess.

Ditto on what a lot have said. Born here. Lived here a long time. Been in a building hit my one. Seen several. Have cleaned up damage behind them.

Friday was the first time I've ever run from one. It missed the house by a couple of miles. I hate to say never but I think I will never try to do that again.

I don't have a shelter other than the center of my house but I'm getting in line for one Monday.

During the May 19 storm in the Shawnee area, a certain chaser for one of the local stations was driving through red lights and passing over double yellow lines. Didn't even slow down or anything, just drove like a maniac. At the time I thought it was odd that nobody called her on it. Nobody said, "hey, stop endangering innocent people, you fool!"

I used to go out looking for tornadoes long ago. Nowadays I watch everything from the safety and comfort of my living room. Remember when we used to have to wait for Nat Geo specials and such, to see twister footage?

^^^ (post 467) (et. al. re: "talking about the weather but . . .")

They need to ban the showing of the first twenty minutes of "The Wizard of Oz" asap.
Although correlation is not causation, the continued availability of this violent and surrealistic filmscape to the viewing public is probably more hazardous than ignoring warnings on cans of salted nuts . . . not to mention what happens when you mix them into cola drinks.

Lost our house in the May 3, 99 tornado. Lived on SW 128th, Eastlake addition, directly south of Westmoore High School. Took a direct hit. We had a bonus room upstairs in the attic, so there was a stairway up to it. Underneath the stairway was a small heavily braced closset. Wife, 7 year old daughter, new puppy, and myself rode it out in that closset. Rest of the house was gone, us and that closset remained standing and untouched.

Agree. When I was activity chasing, I made one mistake that I still remember. That was pulling out in front of someone on a highway in western OK when they were doing 65 mph. Stupid move I didn't look behind me well enough and luckily it wasn't worse. I would probably be labeled one of the boneheads back then.

We shouldn't lump everyone into the same group as those shouting and hooting on videos. If I was Brandon Sullivan, I think that's his name, for instance. I wouldn't be worried about uploading my video onto YouTube with in an hour of being hit by a tornado, not to mention lining up interviews on major news networks and TWC. Pure example of someone who is out for the fame and money, not for the science or warning of the public. It is amazing how quiet it was listening to the OKC repeater. 5-10 years ago that frequency would have been packed with storm reports coming in from spotters and chasers. All things must change I guess.

Stumbled across this blog post I really like on the subject - Storm Chasing: Faced with Tragedy, Will Chase On | Wilder Weather (http://www.bousteadhill.net/wilder_weather/?p=132) (sorry if this drags the thread too far off-topic).

Thanks for sharing that Loco. Barb hit it right on the nose on pretty much how I feel. I was also, and still am if I go out, the low key chaser that keeps to themselves and avoid attention at all cost. No lights, no signs, no 83 cameras. I grumble every time I see someone with a "Skywarn" sticker on their car thinking - "I wonder if they have every actually submitted a storm report through the spotter channels?"

Hopefully this will be the "come to Jesus" moment many out there need. Unfortunately I doubt much will change.

OK. It finally happened. My wife informed me that we WILL have a storm shelter before next spring.

I would kill to be in the storm shelter business, right now.

Amazing that the OKC area was hit by two F5 tornadoes in one year. I thought those things were supposed to be rare.

If I end up staying in OKC, my only option will be to live in a house with a storm shelter.

Amazing that the OKC area was hit by two F5 tornadoes in one year. I thought those things were supposed to be rare.

If I end up staying in OKC, my only option will be to live in a house with a storm shelter.

That's certainly not a bad decision even if we never have another EF5 tornado here. It doesn't take an EF5 to kill or injure people.

Amazing that the OKC area was hit by two F5 tornadoes in one year. I thought those things were supposed to be rare.

If I end up staying in OKC, my only option will be to live in a house with a storm shelter.

You are going to see a TON...a TON...of debate on the rating of the El Reno tornado. The EF scale is primarily a DAMAGE scale used to estimate the wind speeds that would have caused that damage. What was done here isn't unique, its happened a couple times before, but there are simply no resources that can be used to cover every area that is tornado prone with radars that will be able to capture speeds near the surface. It probably isn't much of a stretch to go out and say that there are probably a significantly higher number of tornadoes that would fall into the F5 or now EF5 category than is documented. If OU didn't have their mobile radar unit near by...El Reno would have been an EF3 maybe low end EF4 when all said and done. The upgrade to EF5 was based PURELY on the radar data from the mobile unit.

If we had the funding and capabilities to deploy high resolution radars every 25 miles to capture the near surface winds of a tornado, I feel you would see a complete revisit to the EF-Scale yet again to adjust the winds in relation to damage experienced.

Amazing that the OKC area was hit by two F5 tornadoes in one year. I thought those things were supposed to be rare.

If I end up staying in OKC, my only option will be to live in a house with a storm shelter.

You have been really freaked out with these storms and I understand, but only to an extent. At some point you have to accept the world for the risk that comes with living on this planet. Do you have rubber mats on your shower floor? Slipping and falling in showers kill far more people than you could imagine. Do you make sure you keep fairly new tires on your car and rotate them often? Do you scout a bank before you go in to make sure nothing looks suspicious? After all, you could end up in the middle of a violent armed robbery. Stray bullets, visiting the wrong parts of Chicago or Baltimore or any major city, MRSA staph infections, exotic viral disease, and that's not even getting around to our own bodies that could have an aneurysm ready to burst at any moment. You sound like a person with a great amount of existential anxiety. Good luck with that as that's much deeper than just tornadoes. I mean that seriously, btw. Good luck to you, bchris!

He is proposing to be proactive and attempt to mitigate that risk. Why chastise him for that?

BChris02, go ahead and get yourself a house with a basement or a storm shelter of some sorts. You won't regret it. It's not terribly hard to find a house with a basement in this city--about 20% of the houses in my neighborhood have them.

He is proposing to be proactive and attempt to mitigate that risk. Why chastise him for that?

BChris02, go ahead and get yourself a house with a basement or a storm shelter of some sorts. You won't regret it. It's not terribly hard to find a house with a basement in this city--about 20% of the houses in my neighborhood have them.

I didn't mean it that way at all. If it was just this post in isolation nobody would think twice. But bchris has been traumatized recently that seems to go a bit beyond normal levels of anxiety. If I'm out of line, I apologize, I was really just trying to bring some perspective to things.

I was in a house with a basement on Friday night that ended up with 6 inches of water in it. Needless to say the 9 other people I was with and I did not finish our night in the flooded basement.

I was in a house with a basement on Friday night that ended up with 6 inches of water in it. Needless to say the 9 other people I was with and I did not finish our night in the flooded basement.

Consider me uninformed. Do basements here have sump pumps are a standard feature? I'm sure it depends on the age of the basement...but curious. Granted they can't keep up if water is rushing in.

It just depends on when the basement was constructed. Mine does not have one. And mine did not flood Friday.

My neighbor has a sump pump, and her basement DID flood Friday (for the first time in the 10 years that she has owned the house). However, sump pumps tend to be ineffective when the electricity is off, unless they are on a backup generator.

I didn't mean it that way at all. If it was just this post in isolation nobody would think twice. But bchris has been traumatized recently that seems to go a bit beyond normal levels of anxiety. If I'm out of line, I apologize, I was really just trying to bring some perspective to things.

If I had typed that, I would have meant that. Dude's going on my ignore list with his crybaby attitude towards funnels.