Let's keep the TPF members in Tornado Alley.....

[waday]

Thanks! If I lived there, I'd definitely have an in-ground shelter!

Oklahoma woman drowned inside storm shelter KFOR.com

That's sad and quite unfortunate. It also seems like a freak accident that doesn't occur often? I'm hoping it doesn't occur often?

Maybe I'm being completely ignorant to how they're designed and installed, but shouldn't they be designed and installed to avoid that much direct runoff?

 

[table1349]

Thanks! If I lived there, I'd definitely have an in-ground shelter!

Oklahoma woman drowned inside storm shelter KFOR.com

That's sad and quite unfortunate. It also seems like a freak accident that doesn't occur often? I'm hoping it doesn't occur often?

Maybe I'm being completely ignorant to how they're designed and installed, but shouldn't they be designed and installed to avoid that much direct runoff?

No. Especially in that home and homes like it. It wasn't a modern home with a typical, at least for this part of the country, basement, but rather an older farm home with a cellar. Back in the 20's, 30's and even into the 40's and before they were using stone to build the cellar instead of pored concrete or cinder block. It literally was designed as a root or storage cellar. Dark, cool, damp and rarely used for much else. Certainly not for day to day human use. Our home where I grew up was just such a home. An old farm house built by my great grand parents in 1903, and that was the second home on that foundation. First one burnt to the ground had been built in 1870.

There was no such thing as drainage tiles around the house, no floor drain at the bottom of the stairs. When you have a rain that is dumping 2 or 3 inches of water an hour or more, flash flooding is common. The water runs fast. Fast enough to push a full sized SUV around. Unfortunately her cellar door was right in the path of a flash flood that literally poured a flood of water into the cellar.

 

[480sparky]

That's sad and quite unfortunate. It also seems like a freak accident that doesn't occur often? I'm hoping it doesn't occur often?

Maybe I'm being completely ignorant to how they're designed and installed, but shouldn't they be designed and installed to avoid that much direct runoff?

Most people (especially in southern plains states where houses usually don't have basements) put one of these in their garages.

 

[table1349]

Unlike Oklahoma, here in Kansas we have a lot more basements. In a large part of Oklahoma if you want a real basement you have to blast it out of the bedrock. Costly and if you are building in town it ain't gonna happen. I have seen some folks in Oklahoma fish with a stick of dynamite, but the city government frown on using it in town for some reason.

In Kansas the bedrock is several feet deep as in 10 to 15 feet deep or deeper. Easier to excavate a basement, pour the foundation and build on top.

 

[table1349]

That's sad and quite unfortunate. It also seems like a freak accident that doesn't occur often? I'm hoping it doesn't occur often?

Maybe I'm being completely ignorant to how they're designed and installed, but shouldn't they be designed and installed to avoid that much direct runoff?

Most people (especially in southern plains states where houses usually don't have basements) put one of these in their garages.

Around here folks are putting in safe rooms. If the wife and I decide to build a new place that is what we will do. Have it put under the garage with steel beam ceiling to support the weight. Used for things like tornados, but is also lockable to use as a safe room for other human disasters if they should happen.

We talked about it and if we decide to build that house it will have a 3 car garage like our present house does so part of it will be a safe room and the other part will be a cold room. Granted, it won't be as good as they have further up north, but with no heat supplied to that room we will be able to store fruits and vegetables quite nicely since we do like fresh over store bought when ever it is available.

 

[table1349]

Thing is, while tornadoes can be terrifying and they are very destructive, they aren't any worse than the kinds of natural disasters every part of the country has. You just learn to live with it and understand it. Hell how many times has there been flooding in the Mississippi or Ohio valley? One of these days The west coast is going to be Nevada cause some big earth quake hits and California will slide into the sea. (Not sure I'm seeing a down side to this one ) Hurricanes, gulf coast, east coast and hell even New York City get hit with them.

Me, I take a twister any day over them others. You have a good change of getting out of they way if you pay attention and look out for yourselves.

 

[waday]

So, if I'm reading this correctly, she died of flash flooding. She would have died whether in an in-ground shelter or in her basement. She essentially was trapped.

Wouldn't it make sense to not be in a basement during times of flash flooding for these very reasons? I understand wanting to be there for a tornado, but it seems one would have a higher probability of being affected by flash flooding than a tornado, especially if within the floodplain. But, perhaps I'm thinking more in line with my part of the country.

 

[waday]

You have a good change of getting out of they way if you pay attention and look out for yourselves.

Just like any natural disaster, really. Flooding is probably the easiest to not be affected. Don't build in the floodplain. Oh, but people do. Don't ask me why.

 

[table1349]

So, if I'm reading this correctly, she died of flash flooding. She would have died whether in an in-ground shelter or in her basement. She essentially was trapped.

Wouldn't it make sense to not be in a basement during times of flash flooding for these very reasons? I understand wanting to be there for a tornado, but it seems one would have a higher probability of being affected by flash flooding than a tornado, especially if within the floodplain. But, perhaps I'm thinking more in line with my part of the country.

The water was literally flowing directly to the opening to her basement. This opening was on the outside of the house at ground level and the flooding was rushing directly at and down into the entrance.

Most basements have inside steps down into the basement. Totally different setup.
This is the kind of thing under her house. Just a canal for water to pour down and in trapping her inside.

Where as this is what it is like in our house. Not a direct channel for water to pour down.

 

[table1349]

Some photos of the Flash Flooding in Oklahoma city.

http://static1.nydailynews.com/polo...g_gen/derivatives/article_635/42-71718862.jpg
http://static3.nydailynews.com/polo...g_gen/derivatives/article_635/42-71718864.jpg

This is what can happen to those stick it in your back yard storm shelters when you get 6" of rain in a very short time.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CEXtRi0UsAE6XB2.jpg:large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CEZxxX1XIAA8V5F.jpg:large

 

[snerd]

Neighbor had one of these installed.................

Underground Garage Shelters - Garage Storm Shelter - Oklahoma Arkansas Kansas More

 

[shefjr]

I've built a few ICF homes for people in my area. I think that I would build one for myself if I lived in tornado alley. Seems like if you have to live there this style home might give you the best chance of home survival.

 

[table1349]

Hey Snerd. Weather man says that there is a good possiblity of severe weather this weekend. Were gonna do ribs on the grill Saturday. If you feel like it grab the Cyclone Express and stop by. Theres always room for one more.

 

[ronlane]

Hey Snerd. Weather man says that there is a good possiblity of severe weather this weekend. Were gonna do ribs on the grill Saturday. If you feel like it grab the Cyclone Express and stop by. Theres always room for one more.

@snerd is still on the IR, so he isn't allowed to ride any Cyclones. lol. I may have to drive him up there myself for ribs. lol

 

[waday]

This is what can happen to those stick it in your back yard storm shelters when you get 6" of rain in a very short time.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CEXtRi0UsAE6XB2.jpg:large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CEZxxX1XIAA8V5F.jpg:large

Groundwater table rises. Yep. Shouldn't those be anchored into the ground better to avoid that?