tornados (Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Lawton: new house, tornado, to live in)

[peggydavis]

I like the newer storm cellars that are installed in the garage. It usually is hailing by the time I decide to go to the storm cellar, about 3 times in my whole life. If it is in the garage, you can go to the cellar without getting in the weather.

The disadvantage would be that a car might be parked there, and you would have to move the car first. My garages have always been so full of junk I have to leave my car outside anyway most of the time. I would just have to move the junk off the door of the cellar.

[cindycat]

[quote=peggydavis;2014571]I like the newer storm cellars that are installed in the garage.
The disadvantage would be that a car might be parked there, and you would have to move the car first. QUOTE]

The shelter door slides forward instead of raising up on hinges. We parked the car right over the top of the shelter. I don't remember if it was the city or the county but we had to register the shelter, the idea being that they'd know where to look in case you got trapped inside. Fortunately we never had a chance to try it. I just went down and sprayed the crickets now and then.

[peggydavis]

Ya, I spray mine out but haven't done that since last spring. Better do that. That is the only time I go down there but it's nice to know it's there!

[Lmasters]

Does anyone have pictures of what the shelters look like?
and are Scorpions a big problem? do they get into your homes often?

[Synopsis]

The only places I have seen scorpions in Oklahoma is in the Southern part around Madill. I'm sure there are plenty in Western Oklahoma and Southwestern Oklahoma, but growing up my I never saw any in my neck of the woods.

[cindycat]

Originally Posted by Lmasters

Does anyone have pictures of what the shelters look like?
and are Scorpions a big problem? do they get into your homes often?

I'll send you a private message with the link to the company that put ours in. The pictures aren't great but they'll give you an idea of what the shelters look like.

We had a couple scorpions around our home in SE Oklahoma City but it was ten or more years ago. I think they went the way of the horny toads.

[MrsSteel]

Lmasters, here are some images for you:
safe room - Google Image Search
For more, just do a search for "safe room" on any internet search engine. You'll find plenty of websites from companies that make safe rooms for protection during tornadoes. Note that their websites are often intimidating and kinda scary, but that comes with the territory.

Here's a website with good, basic info for how to ride out a storm.
Tornado - What to do in your house
I lived in Tulsa for 30 years & never had a safe room. We have always rode out storms in an internal closet or bathroom. At school we were taken to the windowless hallway where we crouched against the wall. Click on the link to see what I'm talking about.
http://noaa.kids.us/crouch.gif
The kid in the drawing is actually doing it differently than I was taught. His body should be perpendicular to the wall to make room for more students.

Your chances of encountering a tornado in Oklahoma are tiny. You're far more likely to be killed in a car wreck than by a tornado. Educate yourself, learn what to do in case of a storm, but by no means should you avoid living in Oklahoma because it's in tornado alley.

[osugirl2]

I have had experiences with scorpions here, but nothing too bad, maybe once or twice a year I will see one, but since my home is regularly sprayed I usually find them after they're dead.

[LadyRobyn]

Originally Posted by osugirl2

I have had experiences with scorpions here, but nothing too bad, maybe once or twice a year I will see one, but since my home is regularly sprayed I usually find them after they're dead.

This is true. And it also depends on where you live as well as the foilage around your house. We have been here almost 4 years and we haven't seen one around our place yet. (SW OK) My Dad's place, a few miles out is surrounded by Oak Trees and he gets a few a year in his house.

Mostly near death because he keeps his place sprayed too.

[Cali_Okie_Girl]

we have a safe room in our garage and we have our 3 cars parked in there tho our garge is a 4 door garge but it is great! especially knowing that its there incase of any warning but we havent used it yet forunatly!! but its huge in there..me and my friends go in there to hang out haha!

im sure if i asked my grandma she woul give you ther number to the business it was installed from!