[Veritas Vincit]

Originally Posted by Threestep2

Honestly, I could care less what people in Philly, Boston or Denver think. You know that folks in OK dance around the BBQ holding hands and chanting "oh tornado" to psychologically face up to a plan?

The point is that tornadoes are a non-issue in OK until they aren't a non-issue for you. Few people are directly affected by each tornado, but you never know which few people that is. Could be your turn eventually, may never be. Of course that applies to a lot of things - but many of those are universal and apply everywhere.



But for this you're at ground zero in OKC, maybe one other area with a similar focus would be Tuscaloosa-Birmingham but that's about it. It's a thing to keep aware of in the way it isn't in many other parts of the country. It's dishonest to say to potential new residents who are concerned 'ah it's a nothing burger' because compared to many of the places where such new residents come from it really isn't. If the idea of tornado warnings and watches alone gives you the willies then you really shouldn't move to OK.

[swake]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

But the chances of having power outages, roof damage or hail damage on your vehicles? Not insignificant at all I'd say. The odds of having a tornadic storm significantly interfere with your daily life in *some* way at some point? Almost a given if you stick around 5-10 years. Psychologically you gotta face up to having to have a 'plan' when it's time to 'seek shelter' immediately etc., making sure your kids are in shelter etc. It's not unique to OKC, of course, but it's not like people in say Philadelphia, Boston or Denver think about such things, so it is to be considered.

Power outages from a tornado? Never in 30 years. Storms, certainly. Ice storms are what to watch out for with power.

Roof damage? Yes, I had a roof replaced, but again, not tornado related, hail. Hail is what drives the cost of homeowners insurance, not tornadoes.

Having a "tornadic storm significantly interfere with your daily life in *some* way at some point? Almost a given if you stick around 5-10 years"? No, simply not true. I live in a Tulsa suburb a bit smaller than Moore, I'm not aware that any building here has ever been damaged in a tornado. Of all the people I know I know no one that has ever been injured in a tornado. Other than limb damage I know of one person who lost a house. My in-laws years ago lost a large limb that fell on the cars in the driveway. That's it for people I know that have suffered damage that would interfere in daily life. Again, ice storms cause much more limb damage than tornadoes.

Having a plan for when the alarms go off? Certainly, but we have only taken shelter maybe 3-4 times since I moved to my current house 20 years ago. Get up at night and watch the weather? That's a few times a year to be safe.

Far more people die from winter weather in Philadelphia, Boston or Denver then die from tornadoes in Oklahoma.

[swake]

Originally Posted by Johnhw2

Ive lived in Hurricane prone areas and tornado alley. Tornado alley is a no issue place to me. hurricanes are a whole other thing. With the weather technology now and the war going on between news stations in DFW to have the best technology and weather man, we get great info on tornado's in time to go to a safe place if needed. Been here 10 years and nothing close to sending me there yet. I definitely do not need a basement.

Tornado's impact a very small area and can be monitored and locations of high potential shear and funnels can be predicted 5 to 10 minutes before they it an area. Hurricanes are so large to get out of one of the areas impacted by them takes days planning ahead. The forecast can call where the high winds are going to be but they seem to miss on predicting where the rain is going to be heavy especially when the storm stalls out over an area unexpected. Flooding can be deadly and brutal.

Oklahoma houses do not need basements. The added cost to all houses is not an appropriate measure to justify a basement in all homes.Its like saying we need to shut down the national economy for a virus outbreak that is hitting one small area of a country. Just makes no sense.

I've lived through hurricanes when I was a kid in Florida and Maryland. Tornadoes are nothing like that. Tornadoes are tiny and over in a minute compared to that. Not nearly as scary.

[Veritas Vincit]

Originally Posted by swake

Power outages from a tornado? Never in 30 years. Storms, certainly. Ice storms are what to watch out for with power.

Roof damage? Yes, I had a roof replaced, but again, not tornado related, hail. Hail is what drives the cost of homeowners insurance, not tornadoes.

Having a "tornadic storm significantly interfere with your daily life in *some* way at some point? Almost a given if you stick around 5-10 years"? No, simply not true. I live in a Tulsa suburb a bit smaller than Moore, I'm not aware that any building here has ever been damaged in a tornado. Of all the people I know I know no one that has ever been injured in a tornado. Other than limb damage I know of one person who lost a house. My in-laws years ago lost a large limb that fell on the cars in the driveway. That's it for people I know that have suffered damage that would interfere in daily life. Again, ice storms cause much more limb damage than tornadoes.

Having a plan for when the alarms go off? Certainly, but we have only taken shelter maybe 3-4 times since I moved to my current house 20 years ago. Get up at night and watch the weather? That's a few times a year to be safe.

Far more people die from winter weather in Philadelphia, Boston or Denver then die from tornadoes in Oklahoma.

If you have to stay up at night to watch the weather a few times a year 'to be safe', it's affecting your life. Most people don't ever really have to do that in the Northeast or out West. If you have to time your commute because you don't want to get caught in the storms while on the freeway that's an effect on your life as well.


And for what it's worth - when I was talking about ground zero for tornadoes, I was referring to the OKC metro, not Tulsa. Tulsa for some reason seems to get less of them.

[Johnhw2]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

If you have to stay up at night to watch the weather a few times a year 'to be safe', it's affecting your life. Most people don't ever really have to do that in the Northeast or out West. If you have to time your commute because you don't want to get caught in the storms while on the freeway that's an effect on your life as well.


And for what it's worth - when I was talking about ground zero for tornadoes, I was referring to the OKC metro, not Tulsa. Tulsa for some reason seems to get less of them.

Tornadoes need heat to fire them up and fuel them. They generally do not occur during the night. We had 4 hit parts of DFW metro at an odd time in a year, around year end but they were over a few hours and died out by 8pm

You know little about these things to be recommending all OKC homes have a basement. Tornadoes are not a life changing or impacting event. Having a basement that leaks was more a life hassling event for me than a tornado has ever been.

[Threestep2]

Originally Posted by curiousgeorge5

Those things scare me despite not being afraid of hurricanes.

Apples and oranges.

[Threestep2]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

The point is that tornadoes are a non-issue in OK until they aren't a non-issue for you. Few people are directly affected by each tornado, but you never know which few people that is. Could be your turn eventually, may never be. Of course that applies to a lot of things - but many of those are universal and apply everywhere.



But for this you're at ground zero in OKC, maybe one other area with a similar focus would be Tuscaloosa-Birmingham but that's about it. It's a thing to keep aware of in the way it isn't in many other parts of the country. It's dishonest to say to potential new residents who are concerned 'ah it's a nothing burger' because compared to many of the places where such new residents come from it really isn't. If the idea of tornado warnings and watches alone gives you the willies then you really shouldn't move to OK.

Sounds like your knowledge is based on national news. Of course OK is ground zero - as you say so.

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

If you have to stay up at night to watch the weather a few times a year 'to be safe', it's affecting your life. Most people don't ever really have to do that in the Northeast or out West. If you have to time your commute because you don't want to get caught in the storms while on the freeway that's an effect on your life as well.

So the fact that you have to alter your commute probably three or four times a year affect your life? Usually during a two month period (last half of April, May and the first part of June).

How is this any different than the blizzards and things that people get up north and in the northeast. How about the earthquakes and mudslides and wildfires (like right now in northern California). Do these things not affect their lives? Geez, the traffic alone in many of those places "alters your life" more than anything in OKC.

And hurricanes are far worse than tornadoes relative to affecting peoples lives relative to the fact that as you said, 95% of tornadoes don't do much damage to speak of (other than tear up some farmer's barn). Hurricanes are going to cause everybody problems with their flooding and winds simply because they are much larger storms.

But, yes, if you are scared of tornadoes you probably shouldn't come to Oklahoma. If you are scared of alligators you probably shouldn't move to Florida or Louisiana. If you are scared of snakes you probably shouldn't move to North Carolina.

There is always something to be scared of.

[janellen]

Originally Posted by eddie gein

So the fact that you have to alter your commute probably three or four times a year affect your life? Usually during a two month period (last half of April, May and the first part of June).

How is this any different than the blizzards and things that people get up north and in the northeast. How about the earthquakes and mudslides and wildfires (like right now in northern California). Do these things not affect their lives? Geez, the traffic alone in many of those places "alters your life" more than anything in OKC.

And hurricanes are far worse than tornadoes relative to affecting peoples lives relative to the fact that as you said, 95% of tornadoes don't do much damage to speak of (other than tear up some farmer's barn). Hurricanes are going to cause everybody problems with their flooding and winds simply because they are much larger storms.

But, yes, if you are scared of tornadoes you probably shouldn't come to Oklahoma. If you are scared of alligators you probably shouldn't move to Florida or Louisiana. If you are scared of snakes you probably shouldn't move to North Carolina.

There is always something to be scared of.

Yeah, "in the line of fire" has a whole new meaning here in California. Way more deadly than your tornadoes. No fires close to me, but the smoke from the ones up north are so thick that I can barely see across the street. I really like Oklahoma and tornadoes would be way down on the list of my worries about moving there. That said, I would for sure want an outside storm cellar...you know, just in case. I wouldn't want an inside safe room because, with my luck, the whole house would fall on top of me, lol.

[Threestep2]

Originally Posted by janellen

Yeah, "in the line of fire" has a whole new meaning here in California. Way more deadly than your tornadoes. No fires close to me, but the smoke from the ones up north are so thick that I can barely see across the street. I really like Oklahoma and tornadoes would be way down on the list of my worries about moving there. That said, I would for sure want an outside storm cellar...you know, just in case. I wouldn't want an inside safe room because, with my luck, the whole house would fall on top of me, lol.

OK has its own fires. Show me how you make it to an outside shelter with several cat carriers and that in bad weather.