In the State of Oklahoma there is a debate over storm shelters and safe rooms in schools. Mostly over the price tag, but surprisingly enough, over the need. In a pool of Oklahoma residents only 75% were in favor of putting safe rooms/storm shelters in schools. My question is…what’s wrong with the other 25% that were opposed. How can you be NOT be in favor, regardless of cost, of putting storm shelters in schools, after children were killed in the elementary schools that were destroyed in the Moore tornado. Is it a lack of empathy or understanding? I don’t know, but I find it very disturbing.

Photo from Getty Images

Ok back to the facts, in the state of Oklahoma less than 1/3 of schools have a storm shelter, 3 of those schools are in the Oklahoma City area. To put storm shelters in all the of the schools in Oklahoma it’d cost approx. $1 billion dollars, the state’s budget is only $7 billion dollars. At this time it’s not up to the state to make this decision, it’s up to the individual school districts to decide.

Democratic State Rep. Joe Dorman from Rush Springs, Okla.is looking at the possibility of putting storm shelters in all schools using statewide bonds, FEMA money and private money. He stated” If we mandate that students are in school, we must provide a safe and secure environment for them and the staff,” I fully agree with him, when I send my children to school, I’m trusting that they will be safe while they are there.

The 2 elementary schools destroyed by the May tornadoes are being rebuilt with safe rooms, which should provide at least a small amount of comfort and security to both the parents and children that will be attending those 2 schools.

As of right now Alabama is the only state requiring new schools and new buildings on college campuses to be built with a storm shelter or safe room. On the surface that sounds really good, but if you think about it, exactly how often are they going to be building new schools? Barring a natural disaster, schools are used for decades. I know that my old elementary school is still in use to this day and I last went to school there in 1988.So is it a good thing or is it a way to make it sound good without actually doing anything helpful?

After the Joplin tornado in 2011, ALL Joplin schools now have a storm shelter. Even the ones that sustained no damage whatsoever. I personally think that is really awesome, it is an example of a community biting the financial bullet in order to keep their children safe. Bravo to them.

A Cleveland, Tennessee school when finished will have reinforced safe rooms in EVERY classroom that locks from the inside, simulataneously protecting children from intruders AND tornadoes that wipe building off the face of the earth. That to me, as a parent and a Skywarn Spotter, sounds really really great.

As to the Oklahoma situation, a nonprofit group, Shelter Oklahoma Schools is raising money for storm shelters, at the moment they have $2million dollars.

No tornado sirens

Remember in one of my last blogs I mentioned that no sirens went off up in Wisconsin and I didn’t know what was up with that? Well, now we know. Someone neglected their duties and didn’t turn them up, or someone didn’t issue a warning or a tree kept it from happening. Disciplinary actions could be underway for Emergency Management Director Julie Loeffelholz. Loeffelholz stated that a Tornado Warning wasn’t issued to the software didn’t turn the sirens on, although tornados and damage was reported. The power being knocked out is also being blamed. So who knows, they are investigating it now.

Too much of a good thing update

Gov. Nikki Haley surveyed rain soaked South Carolina, one farmer claimed he’d estimated they’ve gotten 30 inches of rain since June. 36 out of 46 counties have experienced damage to their crops from the rain.

The Fires continue to burn

In Idaho they are having a very, very severe fire problem. Thousands of acres are burning and have burned, threatening people’s homes.

In Beaver Creek, 1,200 firefighters are battling away at containing a fire. In Sun Valley 10,000 acres have been burned. Sun Valley is an area where several celebrities including Tom Hanks have homes, and it is known throughout the figure skating world for the shows featuring professional skating stars.9 huge fires are burning and have burned up approx. 407,884 acres. Rain forecasted could put out fires but lightening could spark more. So a situation is in place to help or hurt. The fire I mentioned in an early blog as being ignited by lightning, is still going. So let us pray they get rain, but no lightening…

Andrea McGhee

Lead Blogger Mr Twister