Living in Oklahoma: A Basic Guide to Surviving a Tornado

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that, in 2019 alone, the United States experienced 1,520 tornadoes. Out of these, 149 tornadoes were in Oklahoma alone.

Residents of Oklahoma are no strangers to tornadoes, knowing that these annual storms can wreak havoc to their personal belongings and endanger the lives of their families. Given that tornadoes are difficult to predict, you and your family need to be prepared for when they hit.

Let’s take a look at some ways you can do that:

Prepare an emergency kit

An easily accessible emergency kit will provide you and your family the supplies you need at this dire time. A basic supply kit will include everything you’ll need in the event of an emergency when you’re unable to gather all your essentials.

The container should be easy to carry and stored in a spot that’s easy to access when you’re in a hurry. Some of the items you’ll need to be prepared with are:

• First-aid supplies
• Water
• Flashlight
• Spare keys to your vehicle
• Extra batteries and cellphone chargers
• Blankets
• Durable, sturdy shoes
• Some extra cash
• Canned or dried food and snacks
• Hygiene and sanitary products

Act quickly

A tornado watch is when weather conditions are hinting at the possibility of a tornado. The National Weather Service will be monitoring the weather conditions to give you a tornado warning. Once this happens, you should act swiftly and immediately take shelter with your family.

OKC’s outdoor warning sirens will be audible in and around the areas that are issued a tornado warning.

Take precautions outdoors

If you’re outdoors when the tornado warning is issued, there are certain things you can do to protect yourself from the incoming tornado.

Vehicles are dangerous places to be in when a tornado hits. The extreme winds and flying debris will make it difficult to stand your ground in the car. You should, instead, stay low to the ground and find a sturdy structure to seek shelter in. Attempting to drive during a tornado is a hazard—not just to you, but to others around you as well.

Install a shelter in your home or office

Your proactive tornado plan should involve preparing your home and office by installing a storm shelter. Tornados can happen when you least expect them, that’s why it’s best to be prepared with a safe space you and your family can wait out the storm in.

These bunkers are built in the interior or exterior of your home or office, offering a safe place to take shelter in. Storm shelters or safe rooms are designed to withstand the storm and protect you even if the property is affected. It’s ideal to have a safe room or shelter in an easily accessible place and designed to meet your family’s needs.

Oklahoma Shelters offers durable garage shelters, in-house safe rooms, and underground bunkers to Oklahoma’s residents. Our team of experts has over 7 years of experience in custom designing, building, and installing storm shelters safely and promptly. We don’t hire any subcontractors to do the job, our team installs every shelter themselves!

Our safety structures have served the needs of residential and commercial structures, ensuring your safety by meeting FEMA guidelines and offering a 10-year warranty against corrosion and leakages.

Prepare for your family’s safety before the tornado season begins. For more information about our underground bunkers, concrete shelters, garage shelters, and safe rooms, get in touch with us!

Call us at 405-367-7901 for a free consultation.