by Blake Lee | Nov 14, 2014 | Uncategorized
We have all seen the Hollywood movies or heard the myths about being able to take shelter under a bridge or overpass during a tornado. The question is, is this really something that could save your life? Is it really safe to seek shelter under a bridge during a tornado? In reality, the answer to this question is pretty easy, NO. Seeking shelter under a bridge is extremely dangerous for numerous reasons.
1. You are still very vulnerable to being hit with all kinds of flying debris. The number one way people are killed during tornadoes is by going outside to seek shelter and eventually being hit with debris traveling hundreds of miles an hour. Being under a bridge does little to protect you from being hit.
2. Even if there is some type of barrier to hold on to, wind speeds can be in the excess of 200 miles per hour. This isn’t the movie ‘Twister.’ Not many people would be able to hold themselves against a barrier while fighting off wind speeds of that force for possibly multiple minutes. If you were pulled out from under the bridge, survival would not be likely.
3. Many people are aware that roads, and bridges for that matter, in this state are some times very old and dated. The structural integrity of many bridges during tornadoes is not known and many could fall apart due to excessive wind speeds crushing people below. Even if the bridge doesn’t completely fall apart it could still crack or chip causing debris that could still fall down on to people seeking shelter.
These are a few reasons why a person should not seek shelter from a tornado underneath a bridge. If your on the highway during a tornado, then what should you do? Definitely don’t stay in your car. Being in a parked vehicle is just as deadly as being under a bridge. Your only option in this scenario is to try and park your vehicle off of the highway and seek shelter inside some type of sturdy structure or lie flat on the ground as far away from the highway as you can get (to avoid being hit by cars that could be thrown by the tornado). Neither of these options are great and will still take luck in order to survive. In a prefect world, everybody would be able to get inside of a storm shelter. Being underground is your best bet of survival.
F5 STORM SHELTERS
Storm Shelters, Tornado Shelters, Safe Rooms
Tulsa – (918) 970-4770
Oklahoma City – (405) 824-7209
by Blake Lee | Nov 5, 2014 | Storm Preparedness
We know that it is the beginning of November and not to many people are thinking about severe weather, but we think now is the perfect time to advise people on what they can do to get their family ready for Oklahoma’s next storm season. Here is a list of things you can do to make sure that you are prepared for when tornado season begins (in just a few months from now I might add).
1. GET A STORM SHELTER!! If you haven’t got one already then this is the absolute first thing that you need to do. Storm shelters not only offer you a safe haven from severe weather, but they also offer you piece of mind. It’s is a very relaxing feeling to know that even if the tornado sirens are going off, that you have a place to take your family. If you live in the state of Oklahoma, it is extremely important that you have some type of tornado shelter at your home. If you don’t have a shelter, right now is the perfect time of the year to get one. Let everybody else focus on the holidays and wait until February or March to call and get on a waiting list. By that time, you will already have yours installed and for quite a bit less money 🙂
2. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR STORM SHELTER SUPPLIED WITH SURVIVAL ITEMS. Don’t put off getting all the necessary items you need for inside your shelter. In case you don’t know what items you will need, we recommend having flash lights, weather radio, bottles of water, fan, non perishable food items, and an air horn. Another heads up, make sure all the items you keep inside your shelter are battery powered. You may not have power when using your storm shelter during a tornado so plan accordingly. We also recommend getting a five gallon bucket to store all your items. This way nothing gets lost or misplaced.
3. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. Remember back in school when we used to have to practice doing fire drills? This is a similar concept. Once every couple of months, get together as a family and simulate being under a tornado warning. In case you didn’t know, tornado watch = take caution, tornado warning = take action. Practice getting in and out of your storm shelter or safe room. Make sure everybody in the family knows how to open the lid and get inside. You never know what time of the day a tornado will hit. It is likely that children could be home by themselves so it is very important that they know how to use the storm shelter. Lucky for you, we make our shelters very easy to use for just this type of situation.
4. INSPECT YOUR SHELTER. It is a good idea to look inside your tornado shelter from time to time. If your shelter has a leak and is allowing water inside it is much better to figure that out before you have to use it during storm season. Leaks don’t happen often, but if you notice one, they are a very easy fix. Another thing that I do with my shelter is to bug bomb it once or twice a year to eliminate insects and other undesirable critters.
If you have any questions or concerns you can always give us a call. If you are interested in installing a storm shelter or safe room at your house, we can help with that as well. We have show rooms in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa so it’s easy for just about anybody in the state to see us.
Underground Garage Tornado Shelter In Broken Arrow
F5 STORM SHELTERS
Storm Shelters, Tornado Shelters, Safe Rooms
Tulsa – (918) 970-4770
Oklahoma City – (405) 824-7209
