is it safe to live in Oklahoma with tornadoes? (Tulsa: mobile home, buy) - City-Data Forum

SAlthea · 08-25-2012, 03:48 PM

I have 3 children and i don't want to move there and have to watch out for tornadoes. I've never seen a tornadoe in real life and never experience one. so im just afraid.

Backintheville2 · 08-25-2012, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAlthea

I have 3 children and i don't want to move there and have to watch out for tornadoes. I've never seen a tornadoe in real life and never experience one. so im just afraid.

Tornadoes happen in most every state, but TX, OK, KS, NE, SD are part of "tornado alley". I'm not sure I'd want to live being so afraid of something I have no control over, however. And depending on where you live, there are earthquakes, drought, flooding and extreme heat or cold. I live in TX, but millions live in OK as well. I don't have a good answer for you, but anywhere you live there will be disasters that could possibly happen. IMO, that shouldn't be the factor that determines where you choose to live.

Hazel Eyes · 08-25-2012, 04:54 PM

I moved here to OKC from California over a year ago and they scare me to death. I honestly don't know how long I can live here and endure the warnings and sirens going off....I'll take an earthquake over these tornadoes...

SAlthea · 08-25-2012, 05:01 PM

Thanks for the information!

Rubi3 · 08-25-2012, 05:17 PM

Except for 3 years, I've lived in Oklahoma all my life. I've seen the effects of a funnel, but, have never seen an actual, real life tornado. I certainly don't want to be in one, but, for many years I haven't worried much about them. Back when my children were very young we lived in a dusty area and the back door was open one windy day. I looked out the window in time to see a whirlwind of dust sweep across the yard, It sent my trash container which was in the kitchen sailing into the next room and slammed the back door shut. I learned these are called dust devils and seems to me they are just small tornadoes, so, in that sense, I've seen one. It was maybe 5 feet tall and clearly carried a great amount of force.

Backintheville posted about tornadoes striking most of the states and it seems to me, there are fewer and fewer in Oklahoma. I'm surely not pleased with the notion of an earthquake, but, neither do I want to live where snow banks cover automobiles, to name a few dislikes, but, if I lived in such places I would probably be used to whatever is dealt with there.

SAlthea · 08-25-2012, 07:44 PM

Thanks for the warning! I will think before I make a move.

SAlthea · 08-25-2012, 07:47 PM

Thanks for all the information. I don't know what I'm going to do but I will surely think about everything.

debzkidz · 08-25-2012, 07:57 PM

Keep in mind that many homes have storm shelters, often built into the floor of the garage. If your house doesn't have one, they can be installed in a couple of days, and run between $2,000 - $4,000.

It's not like we have tornadoes all the time. I've never actually seen one either. I have been in buildings twice when they were hit by one, but both times, those were in Texas, not Oklahoma.

okie1962 · 08-25-2012, 08:18 PM

No its not safe to living here with all the tornados, especially if you don't know the tornado schedules. Thousands of folks get killed every years just in the OKC area because they don't know that the 4:15 tornado goes down Classen Blvd every tuesday and thursday except holidays and election days. In Tulsa this year a tour bus going to see Duttons Family show in Branson made the mistake of going down Memorial Dr just as the 5:45 tornado was just starting its rounds. Thank God no was was seriously injured but all the windows were busted out because of flying livestock and a lot of hairdos were ruined.

If you end up moving to Oklahoma buy a mobile home. Their your best bet. Because for example if you live on Elm street and the the Super Loop Tornado goes down that street every Wednesday and Saturday then you can move your home down the road to Oak street on those days because the Express Tornado hits that street on mondays and thursdays.

okcpulse · 08-25-2012, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAlthea

Thanks for all the information. I don't know what I'm going to do but I will surely think about everything.

I was born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma. Of the first 27 years of my life, I've seen only 2 tornadoes, one in Redrock, OK in 1991 and another in NW OKC on June 13, 1998. I was about 5-7 miles away from both, and in no danger. Both were also moving perpendicular to where I was standing, so I wasn't in the path. After I saw my first tornado, it changed me. I wasn't full of fear, just mesmerized.

I am moving back to OKC from Houston soon, and I can't wait to be back home. I currently live in The Woodlands, just north of Houston. The cities here have no warning system, so the three tornado warnings issued for the Conroe/Woodlands area had us nervous as we had no information on the path, heading, no sirens.

Mostly, I am looking forward to living in a city I have always called home. My roots are there. FWIW.