Tornadoes in Oklahoma

Alright. Let’s get this one out of the way. When people think Oklahoma, they think tornadoes. I get it, seeing the images can be very scary. Let’s chat about it.

Watching the weather is like an event in OKC. We know one of the meteorologists busts out his sparkly ties on bad weather days and they will all be at the station all day. Some people have even invented drinking games while watching the weather, although I have not participated in one. We all know what it meant when we heard “GET HIM ON THE GENTNER!” and we know it's time for lunch when tornado sirens sound every Saturday at noon (test). This section was mostly for my Oklahoma people, but it just goes to show that we take bad weather days very seriously. On severe weather days, we are glued to the TV like we are watching OU vs. Texas.

How to prepare for severe weather

The most important thing to know is to stay weather aware during storm season (April to June). Watch both the morning and evening news so you know what to expect or check in on a local mobile app daily. If severe weather is expected, know where you will go should you need to seek shelter. Also, know the difference between a tornado watch and warning.

Tornado Watch - Conditions are favorable for tornadoes. This happens almost daily during storm season and is VERY common, while tornadoes are rare.

Tornado Warning - Confirmed or radar-indicated tornado. Time to seek shelter if you are in the path. Radar-indicated may not mean a tornado is one the ground, but it can touch down at any time. Tornado sirens will sound and the weather channels and apps can track the exact location and path of the Tornado.

Tornado Emergency: While rare, this means a devastating tornado is imminent or on the ground. You will need to be in a shelter as anything in it’s path will be destroyed. You will know days in advance that conditions are favorable for this type of tornado, but it doesn’t mean it will happen. Have a plan in place so you do not panic should this time come.

The most important thing is to have a plan or yourself/your family! Who will pick up kids incase of severe weather? Will they go to school if conditions are favorable for a large scale tornado? Where will you go if you don’t have a shelter? Where will you meet family should communications in the area be down? Have your plan in place and talk about it again the day of. Here is a post from our local news station about how to plan for a tornado. I’m not a fan of the title, but scary headlines get more clicks.

https://www.koco.com/article/surviving-a-tornado-five-things-to-know/20107265

Advance Notice

All of hat being said, you will know several days to a week in advance if you need to prepare for possible severe weather. As for the rare and extremely strong tornadoes you have seen on the national news – The local weather stations know these extreme weather days are possible days in advance! You will have time to prepare and make a plan should this type of devastating tornado touch down.

I like watching the meteorologists’ lives on Facebook the morning of predicted severe weather. They give a very detailed breakdown of possible storm development and will update throughout the day when they are not on the air. Once the weather starts, be prepared to miss all your shows because they will take over the TV even if the storms are far from your home.

Like many Oklahomans, I have lived here for about 30 years and have never actually seen a tornado, but we are all saddened by the devastation our state has faced in the past. Does it make us want to move? NO WAY! You are most likely to see damage to your home from wind or hail, not a tornado.

Tornado Shelters

Many homes already have tornado shelters, or one can be installed for piece of mind. You most commonly find them in garages or in the backyard. Some homes even have tornado safe rooms. Most years, you will never use a shelter since the tracking is so accurate, but I do recommend having one installed if you do not have a friend or neighbor nearby who will let you use theirs for shelter. Many schools now have tornado shelters as well.

The thought of a tornado is really scary, but being hit by a tornado is extremely rare and most tornadoes do not cause loss of life.

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