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It’s Time to Inspect Your Storm Shelter and Get Ready for Tornado Season

By
Managing Real Estate Broker with National Land Realty 120358

 

 

Is Your Storm Shelter Ready for the Next Round of Severe Storms?

 

Are You Ready for a Tornado?  It's Time to Get Your Storm Shelter Ready for Spring Storms

 

 

Are you Ready for Tornado Season?

 

It's that time of year again when the weatherman tells us to get ready "just in case" a tornado touches down during a severe storm.

Are you ready for tornado season? Is your storm shelter ready?

Don't procrastinate in getting your storm shelter ready until you see the funnel cloud in the sky.

Make an inventory of what you need to do.

Spend a few hours sweeping and cleaning so that it will be pleasant when you get down there.

You don't want any "surprises."

 

What Else and Who Else is Down in Your Tornado Shelter?

 

What Else and Who Else is Down There in Your Tornado Shelter?

 

  • Dust?
  • Cob webs?
  • Mildewed pillows?
  • Rusty batteries?
  • Damp matches?
  • Wood-rotted shelving?
  • Canned goods in Mason jars from 1973?
  • Damp matches?
  • Mummified frogs?
  • Snakes?

 

 It's Time to Make an Inventory of Everything You Will Need to Have in Your Storm Shelter

 

Do You Have Everything You Need in Your "Fraidy Hole?"

 Each year you may want to consider putting the following items in your storm shelter:

  • Fresh pillows, sheets and blankets on the bed
  • A bed -- or two
  • Folding lawn chairs
  • New batteries for flashlights and radios
  • Two or three working flashlights
  • A portable "weather" radio tuned to the National Weather Service or to your favorite local radio station that gives frequent updates when severe weather occurs
  • A portable television -- so you don't have to keep running upstairs to check the radar to see where the storms are tracking
  • A kerosene lantern
  • Extra lamp oil
  • A box of wooden matches
  • A couple of packs of cards
  • Some games
  • Dog beds
  • Fresh water
  • A car jack for pushing open the shelter door if a tree or some other large object falls on it
  • A heavy chain that attaches securely to both the door and a bolt in the floor of the shelter -- remember that first scene in Twister?

 

A powerful tornado acts like a giant vacuum cleaner. I have heard of them literally sucking the plumbing out of the ground. It's a good idea to take precautions.

 

An Underground Storm Shelter is the Best Place to Be in an F4 or F5 Tornado 

Install an Underground Tornado Shelter and Keep it Ready.

Also, don't put a lock on your storm cellar.

It's neighborly to allow others to come and join you or to use your shelter even when you are out of town.

You want to allow anyone driving down the road to be able to take cover if they need shelter.

Consider yourself as one entertaining angels unawares.

 

Be Ready to Get Downstairs Fast

When severe weather strikes, it often happens quickly.

Don't hesitate to run down there quickly.

Teach your children and your pets how to get into the shelter quickly.

 

 

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Take a look at these listings of homes, farms, and ranches in and around Tulsa, Oklahoma which have storm cellars:

Find homes with Storm Cellars throughout Northeast Oklahoma.

Find homes in midtown Tulsa with storm cellars.

 

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Call Debbie Solano at 918-724-8201 to set up a search for a home with a basement.

 

I can send listings of homes with basements to you. My automatic search allowing you to search the MLS without calling me does not yet work to pull homes with basements, so you will have to call me to get the listings.

 

This article was originally published on OKLandAndRanches.com

Shortlink: http://oklandandranches.com/?p=1022

 

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Copyright© 2013 by Debbie Solano -- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED -- It's Time to Inspect Your Storm Shelter and Get Ready for Tornado Season

Comments (12)

Mike Warren
Real Estate - Colorado Springs, CO

Good advice, Debbie. Thanks for sharing. 

Apr 09, 2013 07:34 PM
Debbie Durkee
National Land Realty - Tulsa, OK
ALC, CRS -- Land & Country Estates near Tulsa

Thank you, Mike.

Apr 09, 2013 10:04 PM
Katerina Gasset
The Gasset Group & Get It Done For Me Virtual Services - Provo, UT
Amplify Your Real Estate & Life Dreams!
Hello Debbie, great stuff in making sure that everyone's Storm Shelter is Ready for the Next Round of Severe Storms. This is of urgent importance. Thank you for sharing and keep up the good work!
Apr 17, 2013 09:44 PM
Debbie Durkee
National Land Realty - Tulsa, OK
ALC, CRS -- Land & Country Estates near Tulsa

Katerina:  It's always great to hear from you.  Do you ever have to take cover from tornados in Wellington, FL?  I heard that Florida gets a lot of lightning strikes, although I cannot remember where I heard that statistic.  Nonetheless, we always have to worry about severe storms in the Tulsa, OK area.

 

Apr 21, 2013 10:51 AM
Thom Abbott
MyMidtownMojo.com |770.713.1505 | Intown Atlanta GA Condo Living - Atlanta, GA
Midtown Atlanta GA Condos For Sale

Debbie:

Not that they are "cool", but that storm shelter...looks...cool! They certainly ARE something you need in your area...that is for sure.

Can you do a follow up and show the inside of one?

And I LOVE the idea of it not being locked, so it's easy to access quickly, but more importantly, for someone passing by. That's amazing! 

Apr 26, 2013 07:45 AM
Debbie Durkee
National Land Realty - Tulsa, OK
ALC, CRS -- Land & Country Estates near Tulsa

Thom:

Great idea to show the inside of a storm shelter.  I'll work on that.

 

Apr 26, 2013 11:00 PM
Erika Rogers
Red Rock Real Estate ~ Southern Utah's Largest Independent Brokerage - Saint George, UT
St George Utah Real Estate & Relocation Specialist
Debbie, a very informative article that reminds every home owner to check, inspect and make sure that their storm shelter is well prepared in case a sudden storm drops from nowhere. Better be ready than sorry. Thank you for the reminder and keep up the excellent work!
May 02, 2013 01:40 AM
Petra Norris
Lakeland Real Estate Group, Inc. - Lakeland, FL
Realtor, Lakeland FL Homes for Sale
Hi Debbie, how cute is the baby on this post of yours. Thank you for giving us a checklist  of the things that is essential in getting one's shelter storm ready. All the best and stay the most reliable Tulsa Real estate consultant.
May 05, 2013 01:14 AM
Melissa Muse Wiggans
Real Estate Muses - San Antonio, TX
CRS, GRI, ABR - Real Estate Muses
It is very important for a home owner to always make sure that there storm shelter is prepared and have all the basic things needed for the family to survive in days. Thanks Debbie for sharing and keep them coming.
May 05, 2013 01:20 AM
Pat and Ed Okenica
DRAKE REALTY Lake Oconee Ga - Greensboro, GA
Lake Oconee Ga Real Estate
Thank you Debbie for reminding homeowners to prepare their storm shelter in the event that they might need to use it specially to states who normally gets hurricanes and tornados. All the best and keep up the good work.
May 06, 2013 08:34 PM
Waynette Hoover Araj
Keller Williams Realty - Asheboro, NC
Connecting your Dreams with the Right Real Estate
Great article you have here Debbie. This is very important specially to home owners who experience hurricanes and tornadoes in their area. Thank you for reminding and stay the most consistent Tulsa Real Estate Specialist.
May 17, 2013 11:50 AM
Kristin Johnston - REALTOR®
RE/MAX Platinum - Waukesha, WI
Giving Back With Each Home Sold!

Great information.  Thanks for sharing and have a happy Sunday!

Mar 28, 2021 06:58 AM