I don't get it ... 80% of people in Oklahoma DON'T have a Tornado Shelter. Are they nuts ???? (page 2)

heathen

I'm in texas and had tornados landing all around last wednesday and for my entire life here but there are no shelters around here either and it does make me mad that the state government won't have them built at certain locations even .

RubaDub

Nevertheless, I would think that as a prospective homeowner, I would insist that my house have a basement with the frequency of tornadoes in that part of the country.

Quendi ...

I can't agree more with you.

Rub a Dub

MrFreeze

As damaging as a hurricane is, I'd have to say tornadoes are probably more dangerous, seeing as you have almost no warning ahead of time when one finally touches down. Especially an F5 tornado. Doesn't matter how well your house was built, it is not going to survive a direct hit. When it comes to shelters, I'm sure it is just too expensive for your average homeowner to build, especially when you factor in how expensive it is to blast through bedrock and also how Oklahoma is one of the poorest states.

Oh and also, one of the most damaging things about tornadoes is the pressure. It pretty much makes your house implode.

RubaDub

I'm in texas and had tornados landing all around last wednesday ... there are no shelters .. the state government won't have them built

I am really shocked and appalled that more public buildings aren't built with basements that can act as a shelter in a storm. It is absolutely disgusting. A school can simply have the cafeteria and storage in the basement and have an easy place for children to go if a storm approaches. The idea of just a "safe room" is a joke when you are dealing with 200MPH storms.

It makes about as much sense as building a car without seat belts.

Rub a Dub

OnTheWayOut

I stopped being surprised by people and started understanding that many live day-to-day.

People could build a tornado shelter, or they could get a decent new car that's more reliable to get to work.
They look at the odds and hear that the worst cases that typically happen will allow them to crouch under a stairwell or in a doorframe. The schools and brick buildings that were damaged typically withstand the passing tornado.

Here in the north, we don't typically spend money on 4-wheel drive for bad snow, because the government plows the worst snows and we can drive our front-wheel drive just fine. I know that's not the same because it isn't a life-or-death situation, but it's pretty much the same attitude: the weather will inconvenience Oklahoma people but doesn't usually demand they spend more money on rarely used things.

Places like the Caribbean and much of Florida, it's more sure that sooner-or-later, a hurricane will roll through, so the government demands better quality buildings. But there are still mobile home parks allowed. People just leave home, go to a better facility, and cross their fingers that their "trailer" is still liveable afterward.

I still tend to side with you. I would have said that New Orleans will not be rebuilt in the same location- history and tradition be damned. Many flood zones are eventually abandoned to farming or just wetland.

RubaDub

I'm sure it is just too expensive for your average homeowner to build ... to blast through bedrock and also how Oklahoma is one of the poorest states.

MrFreeze ...

I can't believe that a 4x6 hole 5' or 6' deep can be that expensive to create. Just getting below the surface of the ground and sitting on a 2x12 board propped up on cinder blocks would work. Just need a simple door about 6" below ground level. Doesn't have to be fancy. You aren't going to live in there, just wait until the noise stops and come out.

Rub a Dub

MrFreeze

But RubaDub, Moore is sitting on top of bedrock, which is extremely expensive to get through, even for a hole that small. You also have to factor in water coming into the shelter, which could just as easily kill you as falling debris. If the door is built too airtight, you will run out of air quickly.