I grew up in Norman, Oklahoma. I went to Adams Elementary School. Each class had access to below the floor level. My school was built in the 50's. I believe most schools in Oklahoma have some type of below ground access. Most of the kids that died at the elementary school drowned in the basement as Moore also received flooding rains during the tornado event. The basement filled with water and the access was piled with debris. My shelter sits on the side of a hill and has 2-4 inches of clearance from the ground. Not picking on you, but that last CNN video set me off...... The meteorologists in OKC were warning people to leave in their vehicles if they didn't have a below ground shelter and were in the path of this storm. They very seldom tell you to hop in your car and haul azz! These above ground "safe rooms" will not withstand an EF-4 or EF-5 tornado! It's bolted to the slab foundation. The May 3rd of 1999 Moore and Oklahoma City tornado not only cleaned the slab, it took the slab too!!!!! You become an airborne missile! Might as well have a NASA symbol on the side of it! While you're flying through the air, you're slamming into the sides of that coffin until you land, probably miles away from where your house was. No thank you. Sure, a tornado may pass directly over my shelter and rip the door off the hinges, sucking everyone out, but I'll take my chances.
