[BigOkie]

Originally Posted by Goodpasture

Obviously technology exists for each and every reason why basements are not common. But the question is why don't houses here HAVE basements, not why CAN'T they. Bottom line, traditional cost prohibitions plus cheap land have created an environment where they are not customary. you can come up with all the reasons why they should be and explain away every reason why they aren't, but I can guarantee you that if they were profitable, in this part of the world, they would be installed. they aren't, so they aren't.

If you want one, find a builder, have him build on your lot and have a basement put in. Otherwise buy what is on the market and find ways to adapt.

Or, if you're worried about storms, have a reinforced safe room built instead. Much less expense involved than trying to tailor build with a basement.

I do know my first house that I remember living in as a child had a basement, but it was built in the 1920s.

[karibear]

I've been thinking about root cellars and storm cellars quite a bit lately. If you live in the country and have at least an acre, it wouldn't be all that hard to build one. One of the neatest ones I ever saw a picture of was a little old quonset that was half buried, then had a lot of dirt piled up all over it with kudzu growing over it. Or that 'redneck' thing with the buried school bus. All a person would need would be a good spot to dig out a bit, then a lot of dirt piled up over and around it. The fancier cement ones are nice, but they are also expensive to have put in. There are a lot of alternatives, and most of the DIY ones I've seen have been big enough to double as root cellars, as well, with plenty of room for the family and pets. In fact, some of them have been big enough to live in temporarily in case a twister did come down and destroy the house.

[debbie at bouontiful]

Karibear

Well that does sound like an idea. Being such a canner and gardener, I've really want a root cellar. I think we are all playing russian rollet with these safe rooms. I can remember a twister that went over our house and boy that safe room didn't feel safe to me. It was one of the most frightening minutes of my life.

[Cherokee Moon]

I was born and raised here and I hate tornados. We bought 30 acres 4 years ago and have started building. We will finish when our house sells. (hopefully soon) I am putting in a basement. I know it will be pretty expensive to do, but I will sacrifice and have smaller rooms if I have to! Gotta have a fraidy hole. LoL!!

[debbie at bouontiful]

Originally Posted by Cherokee Moon

I was born and raised here and I hate tornados. We bought 30 acres 4 years ago and have started building. We will finish when our house sells. (hopefully soon) I am putting in a basement. I know it will be pretty expensive to do, but I will sacrifice and have smaller rooms if I have to! Gotta have a fraidy hole. LoL!!

Good for you!! That is the smart thing to do. It should be mandatory to have them. Instead, we'll suffer the human lost and expect the government to help us.

[HeatherDawn]

It should be mandatory to have a cellar?! Wow...That's pretty extreme. Who's going to shell out the money for all that? We expect the government to help us with dead people? I'm so confused, debbie.

I would venture to guess that most of the human loss comes from people who don't know there are tornados coming, are on the road, or are too cocky to take cover. Though I'm sure there are some, I don't know anyone who doesn't have an available shelter when/if they need one.

[Cherokee Moon]

There are many folks in my neck of the woods who do not have storm shelters for various reasons. We have a cellar at our current home, but when it sells and we move, I'm opting for a basement that I can go into from inside the house.

[okcpulse]

Considering that Oklahoma City alone hasn't had any deaths since 1999 from a tornado, goes a long way to explain why so few homes in Oklahoma have a shelter.

[rabid]

Originally Posted by Whome

Looking at possible relocation to the Oklahoma city area and looking at online real estate sites and noticed that most of the homes do not have basements?? Isn't the Oklahoma City area like Mustang, Yukon, Moore, "vulnerable" to tornadoes???

Most of us Okies have "storm cellars". Look for that when shopping for a home in the old oklahoma.

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by okcpulse

Considering that Oklahoma City alone hasn't had any deaths since 1999 from a tornado, goes a long way to explain why so few homes in Oklahoma have a shelter.

Well, I certainly hope that many of the new homes going up since 1999 included some form of tornado shelter. If a person saw video of how total and through the destruction was to the homes in the Midwest City and Moore area, it just wouldn't be smart not to, along with taking into account for how unusually high the death toll was.