Why doesn't oklahoma city schools have shelters? What a joke. (Moore: houses, buyers)

[Howest2008]

I can understand Oklahoman not building basement for theirs homes " that a family decision , but not
building underground structures for all school children isn't really the proper way to go in Oklahoma.

[Globe199]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/22/us...pagewanted=all

Sadly, neither of the two hard-hit schools had safe rooms. Plaza Towers (built circa 1966) had no underground shelter.

"Albert Ashwood, director of the State Department of Emergency Management, said the two schools that were hard hit — Plaza Towers in Moore and Briarwood Elementary in Oklahoma City — did not have safe rooms because the appropriate state financing had not been sought."

Description of the tornado safety procedure:

"Throughout the 500-student school, teachers and parents had shielded students and crammed into closets and anywhere else they could squeeze as the tornado bore down."

That does not sound to me like any kind of orderly, pre-planned way of seeking shelter. It sounds dangerously haphazard. It's a miracle that most students and staff survived. Thank goodness for that.

But this is the part of the article that really hit me:

Ms. Doan was conscious, buried under piles of rubble, but she was not sure her students were safe. She thought she could make out their movement beneath the debris. "She kept telling them to hang on," Mr. Rogers said.

In the distance she could hear their voices: "I can’t hold the rock anymore," one said. Eventually the voices stopped.

"I can't hold the rock anymore."

I felt a chill when I read that line.

[Globe199]

Originally Posted by Globe199

Here's what I'm guessing happens. Slowly the horror of the tornado will fade. Then it comes time to rebuild a school (or a home or a business), and the question of a shelter comes up. Then somebody sees the price tag. In the case of a school, the taxpayers see the price tag. And they don't like it. So they decide not to pay for it.

the public: "We need shelters for our school children!!"

construction contractor: "OK, the cost will be $X million."

the public: "...umm...well...maybe we don't need it that bad. They can just hide in the hallway, right? OK, Good."

In the trickle of information since Monday's storm, pretty much everything I said here has been show to be true.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/22/us...pagewanted=all

People don't want to pay for storm shelters in schools or residences. Whatever the reason, call it stupid, call it cheap, call it "can't afford it," whatever. Bottom line, no shelters. To me this is especially galling considering the other things this country spends its money on.

[DC at the Ridge]

Originally Posted by TheBeagleLady

If those homes are flattened, they aren't very safe.

In an F5 tornado, especially one that isn't moving, no building is safe. F5's are powerful enough to take down solid poured reinforced concrete buildings, and the debris from those buildings are lethal. F5's suck things up like a vacuum, churn them like they are in a lethal blender, and spit them out, often miles away from where they were originally.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by TheBeagleLady

If those homes are flattened, they aren't very safe.

Large cinder block walls are not very safe in tornados. I think it is common knowledge that the safest place to be in a tornado is in a small room, preferable below ground.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by Jammie

That is one of the things they discussed on NBC's one hour special tonight. The answer is that there is a risk of a tornado happening often in May ( April, too) and it just wouldn't be wise to close the schools whenever there's a possibility of a tornado.

True, but why couldn't schools close early when it becomes evident that there is going to be tornadic activity in the area? I grew up in the upper-midwest, where schools closed early at least a half dozen days a year, because of winter weather. They couldn't justify closing the schools just because of the possibility of a blizzard either. But once the the hazardous conditions developed, and they made the decision to close the schools. It took only about 20 minutes to clear out the school buildings, including loading school busses. Which were probably already standing by. I don't see why that couldn't work for a tornado like this

[TheBeagleLady]

Originally Posted by DC at the Ridge

In an F5 tornado, especially one that isn't moving, no building is safe. F5's are powerful enough to take down solid poured reinforced concrete buildings, and the debris from those buildings are lethal. F5's suck things up like a vacuum, churn them like they are in a lethal blender, and spit them out, often miles away from where they were originally.

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.

[DC at the Ridge]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

True, but why couldn't schools close early when it becomes evident that there is going to be tornadic activity in the area? I grew up in the upper-midwest, where schools closed early at least a half dozen days a year, because of winter weather. They couldn't justify closing the schools just because of the possibility of a blizzard either. But once the the hazardous conditions developed, and they made the decision to close the schools. It took only about 20 minutes to clear out the school buildings, including loading school busses. Which were probably already standing by. I don't see why that couldn't work for a tornado like this

The sirens went off, telling people that the hazardous conditions developed, and 16 minutes later the tornado hit. The tornado isn't a weather event like a blizzard that affects an entire community. The tornado is like the finger of god. Moore was hit. But 75% of buildings weren't even touched by the tornado. About 300 people were killed or injured, out of a population of roughly 55,000. And the children are in more danger out of school. In many communities, the schools are used as shelters. The two schools that were hit were probably designed to withstand an average tornado. Get the children away from the windows, in hallways or closets to put as many walls between them and the debris from the tornado (it's not the wind that kills you, it's being struck by the 2x4 that the wind blows into you) as possible. Schools tend to be more substantial than residential homes, and if you send the children home early, you run the risk of children being on buses in a tornado--the worst possible place to be.

[TheBeagleLady]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

True, but why couldn't schools close early when it becomes evident that there is going to be tornadic activity in the area? I grew up in the upper-midwest, where schools closed early at least a half dozen days a year, because of winter weather. They couldn't justify closing the schools just because of the possibility of a blizzard either. But once the the hazardous conditions developed, and they made the decision to close the schools. It took only about 20 minutes to clear out the school buildings, including loading school busses. Which were probably already standing by. I don't see why that couldn't work for a tornado like this

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.

[#1soonerfan]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

True, but why couldn't schools close early when it becomes evident that there is going to be tornadic activity in the area? I grew up in the upper-midwest, where schools closed early at least a half dozen days a year, because of winter weather. They couldn't justify closing the schools just because of the possibility of a blizzard either. But once the the hazardous conditions developed, and they made the decision to close the schools. It took only about 20 minutes to clear out the school buildings, including loading school busses. Which were probably already standing by. I don't see why that couldn't work for a tornado like this

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