angiebyte, are you okay? I live in California now but grew up in Iowa and always feared tornadoes. Your area is getting slammed right now but I didn't see anything for Guthrie. Please don't hestitate for one minute when they give the warnings and please let me know if you're okay.

My thoughts and prayers are with you.

There are companies that sell and/or construct tornado shelters. These can be in the ground (in your yard), or installed in your garage or whatever. You can also find DIY plans online. Below is a link of one of the companies (disclaimer--I don't know anything about this company, it just came up in a google search)

Given your location and your fear of tornadoes, it may be a good investment for peace of mind. Stay safe.

Here is a link that might be useful: tornado shelters

Hello,

I had a strong, strong urge to leave last night. We finally gave in and LEFT Guthrie and went to Stillwater. Its 45 minutes away but I used to live there, and it was the only town we could get to driving away from the direction of the storm. We holed up with my freind in a hotel room. She works at a hotel with a basement.

About half an hour after we got there, tornadoes touched down in my home in Guthrie, taking out part of an apt complex, the animal shelter, and a few houses were demolished. As of last night, 2 people had died in Gurhtie. The touch down was 1 mile from my house :( .....

A bit after that, the tornado hit Stillwater, where we were in the basement with half the town. I'm not sure of the damage there, but it was a few miles from our location.

We came home after everyting was over and the dog was very worried, and we had no power for 6 hours, but we were safe.

I am so glad I listened to my inner voice and left. If that thing had turned, as they tend to do, and it hit our house, I am not sure we would have survived.

Regarding shelters, we had planned to get one built but my husband just got laid off and we have to wait untill next year.

Angie, I'm so glad you're okay. I can't even imagine what it's like back there with all the destruction. The news said that a man in Guthrie went to a shelter just in the nick of time. Was it a public shelter or his own? Do you have any neighbors in Guthrie that could share their shelter with you? The weather channel says that the tornadoes could last a few more weeks. Very sad and scary.
Take care.

Hi Carla, that man went to his private shelter. Our neighbours have a storm cellar, but they have never offered to share it with us. We were out on our yards looking at some recent severe skies and said hi to them, (they were also looking at the skies). They didn't mention at the time they had a shelter- it was yesterday a different neighbour saw me in the grocery store and told me that they had a storm cellar. I was very surprised to learn he had a cellar as we were both out during a tornado watch to look at the skies, and he didn't offer to let us use it. Oh well.

We don't have any public shelters here. I heard of a chuch that some of the members use the basement in, I might call and ask them if non members are allowed as well.

We lost some food but nothing else. The tornado that came through Guthrie was an F-4. It was an F-5 but weakened. It had a long track- over 60 miles.

Angie

Have an underground shelter installed in your yard.

My uncle who lived in tornado country had one on every house he owned.

Hi Angie,
I was at work when I posted earlier and the forum said my post didn't go through. Now I see it did. I appreciate the 2 posts that suggest you build a shelter but that's just not practical if your stressed for funds and there's a tornado on the way is it? I'm glad you had time to get to a safe place and sorry to hear that someone in your town didn't.
We had a basement when I grew up on the Iowa farm and sought shelter there many times, but the last house my mother lived in had no basement and no interior rooms, like yours. I was there once when there were tornado warnings. I walked over to the neighbors and asked if we could stay with them if necessary and they said yes, of course! Some people don't offer because they don't know your situation and they minds are consumed with their own safety. If it ever happens again I say just ask. It's better to be shunned than lose your life! And you would probably end up friends.

Again, I'm so glad you're okay. I hadn't check the home disaster forum for 6 years...not since I was remodeling my former house. (Don't know what made me check yesterday.) I had remodeling disasters that would make me cry back then. Your post and what's happening now with the tornadoes and in other parts of the world puts me to shame and I won't forget it.
Take care,
Carla

",,,uggest you build a shelter but that's just not practical if your stressed for funds and there's a tornado on the way is it?"

It is called preparation.

Hi Carla,

They are still looking for a missing toddler in Peidmont. A Pregnant woman and her 3 children were driving to their shelter when they had to leave their car and take shelter in a building. The tornado struck them, and sucked out her 3 year old, and hes still missing. Her 15 month old died of injuries, and her remaining daughter, and herself are in critical condition.

We just bought this house a few months ago, to move closer to the city. My husband planned on moving his career to OKC / Edmond, and so this town of Guthrie would save us hundreds of dollars a month on the commute. We used up alot of our savings to put the down payemtn on the house. I swore I'd never live in a house with no basement or a shelter, but there was a very nice feel to the nieghbourhood, we get together most afternoons and the community is really nice. So we decided we would put one in ourselves. Well, we could not find any one with availability- and now that my husbands being laid off, the money we have saved up needs to see us through paying the bills and we had to forgo the storm shelter.

I did get in touch with the presbeterian church and asked if non members were allowed to use their basement and they very graciously said yes. I always assumed I would go to a public shelter, but there are none here. I was not aware any towns were without public shelters. Now I know.

Brickeyye your comment seems a little insensitive. Not every one can survive an F3 tornado, and then make sure they are finacially secure enough to build a storm shelter for $5,000 every place they rent or own.