Why doesn't oklahoma city schools have shelters? What a joke. (Moore: home, high school)

[Globe199]

Originally Posted by TheBeagleLady

Exactly, which is why I'm not criticizing the people in Oklahoma. School vs. house? It doesn't matter when we're talking about a direct hit from an F5. You hunker down and do the best you can with what you've got, pray if that's your thing.

We CAN build schools and houses that could withstand an EF5. It's not a matter of can't. It's a matter of won't.

In a 2006 study Simmons co-authored with Daniel Sutter of the University of Texas-Pan American, Simmons found that a program for building safe rooms in permanent dwellings would cost $52 million for every life saved. That "exceeds estimate of the value of a statistical life based on market tradeoffs," as the authors wrote.

http://science.time.com/2013/05/21/t...treme-weather/

[DC at the Ridge]

Originally Posted by Globe199

I don't believe this for a minute. We could build schools and houses that could withstand an EF5. It's not a matter of can't. It's a matter of won't.

Absolutely. It's like asking New Jersey to change the entire state's building code to withstand another Sandy. Every house in New Jersey built to withstand flood waters and winds and debris. Just in case.

An EF5 is an incredibly rare storm. And it affects only a very few people. Joplin wasn't obliterated when the EF5 hit. Moore wasn't obliterated when the EF5 hit. Millions of people in tornado alley have NEVER seen a tornado at all. And most of those who've seen a tornado have never seen an EF5. 55,000 people live in Moore. An EF5 tornado hit Moore, OK this week. 75% of the town has no damage. 54,700 people weren't injured or killed.

People don't like to spend money, lots and lots of money, for nothing. A house that could withstand an EF5 is doubtful. Look at the hospital in Joplin. It was built to withstand a tornado. Poured, reinforced concrete walls. The Joplin Tornado roared through like it was made of tinkertoys. I can't imagine how expensive a house that could withstand an EF5 tornado would be. But since 99% of the people who live in Tornado Alley will never see an EF5, their houses will never have to withstand an EF5 tornado, why would anyone go to that expense?

The schools in Moore were probably designed to withstand an average tornado. In many communities, the schools are the designated shelters. The fact that almost all the children DID survive a direct hit by an EF5 is a testament to the solid construction of the schools. Not to the failure of the schools.

[#1soonerfan]

Originally Posted by Globe199

We CAN build schools and houses that could withstand an EF5. It's not a matter of can't. It's a matter of won't.



How to Better Prepare Vulnerable Towns and Cities for Major Tornadoes | TIME.com

I'm not one to call out other people, but with each post it is becoming increasingly clear you do not know what you are talking about.

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by LOBOGRANDE

We can spend 700 million on stupid crap, but we can't make our schools safe for kids. I going to make a web page and go to congress to fight for this.

Because of the chances of a tornado hitting a particular school is slim, it is hard for school district to justify the additional expense of installing a large shelter. I agree that it should be a priority and is much more important than a new gymnasium or track facility. When a major event happens for a time, people are all up in arms about it, but as the memory fades, it becomes less and less of a priority.

Instead of passing a law, however, to mandate that schools do this, it would be nice if organizations on the local level (Shriner's, etc.,) would work together to ensure that the local area schools are protected. It is up to each of us, as concerned citizens to care for ourselves and one another, not the government.

20yrsinBranson

[trythis]

I've been thinking how trying to ensure everyone would survive strong tornadoes compares to trying to ensure there are no fatalities in car crashes. Automobile accidents are much more likely to effect an Oklahoman than a tornado is. How do we construct cars that would never allow a fatality in a crash? Impossible you say? I think it's possible, but you wouldn't want to pay for it. You probably won't like the way it looks or the slow speed it travels. I say we should pass a law that requires all new automobiles be built to be 100% survivable in crashes up to 120 mph. [thought provoking sarcasm off]

I too would like all school children and all residents of tornado prone areas to have safe shelters. I just know that people are driven by economics. You can have a house or a school with better shelters, but you have to pay for it. When you go shopping for a house, it isn't always the first thing on your list of must haves. If buyers demand homes with shelters, more will be built. If taxpayers insist they pay more taxes earmarked for school shelters, they will be built. And if we want to protect all children from automobile crashes, we may have to limit speeds to 10 miles per hour. It's all relative. People decide what their priorities are. What will your priorities be?

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by DC at the Ridge

The sirens went off, telling people that the hazardous conditions developed, and 16 minutes later the tornado hit.

Incorrect information. The tornado warning was issued at 2:40 PM CDT. Plaza Towers Elementary was hit at 3:21 PM. Thats 41 minutes. Not 16 minutes. It was enough time for them to evacuate half the students. Then it would be enough time for them to closes the school and take the kids home or to a shelter.

[thinkalot]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

Incorrect information. The tornado warning was issued at 2:40 PM CDT. Plaza Towers Elementary was hit at 3:21 PM. Thats 41 minutes. Not 16 minutes. It was enough time for them to evacuate half the students. Then it would be enough time for them to closes the school and take the kids home or to a shelter.

And who is at home? Do you also expect every business to close? If they used your idea they would still be digging out children!

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by TheBeagleLady

A storm can pop up and spawn a tornado at any time. They aren't as easy to predict as blizzards. What if the schools guess wrong and a storm hits before the kids get home? What about the kids who have to walk home by themselves and possibly be home alone? There easily could have been more deaths. Rather than criticize, I'm just glad most people survived and hope lessons are learned when/if people rebuild.

How are any lessons going to be learned, if people don't criticize? I don't know how far those kids would have to walk to get home from Plaza Towers Elementary, but my guess is that there would have been less deaths if they had.

Blizzards aren't easy to predict either. Otherwise my school would have canceled school for the day. Rather then closing down in the middle of the day, when conditions had started to deteriorate. But at least they got kids home safe, before roads became impassable.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by #1soonerfan

Those kids are safer in schools than in their homes, which are now obliterated.

Some of them would have been safer in their homes that were not obliterated, then in their schools that were obliterated.

[stiffnecked]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

Incorrect information. The tornado warning was issued at 2:40 PM CDT. Plaza Towers Elementary was hit at 3:21 PM. Thats 41 minutes. Not 16 minutes. It was enough time for them to evacuate half the students. Then it would be enough time for them to closes the school and take the kids home or to a shelter.

Wow! You truely have no clue what your talking about. A tornado warning usually covers a very broad area. If we follow your flawed logic then every single school in the warning area would have had to evacuate. They had 16 minutes once the meteorologists were able to narrow the warning area and predict a track.

What about all the students whose parents were working? What would the school do with them? What shelters were they supposed to take them to??