Sandi's 2019: Wow This Is A Challenge!

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SandiSAHM
Posts: 2263
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:46 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Sandi's 2019: Wow This Is A Challenge!

Post by SandiSAHM »

alliesmama4 wrote: Mon May 20, 2019 9:47 am Sandi I hope you and your family are safe? I saw on the news where the state of Oklahoma canceled school today due to the severe weather. Stay safe and let me know you are all ok.
They preemptively closed all the still-open schools in Tulsa and a couple close cities, along with OSU and RSU (state colleges in the area). Is it the whole state? They did this last night. I've lived here since '92 so I 'get' the caution, but WOW the parents who were not prepared to have their younger kids home today, I guess that's a day they're not going in?

Its an interesting precedent to set, there are entire weeks of late April and May where these kinds of storms can drop on us. Are storm days going to be like snow and super-cold days? If so I hope the local employers bump up their PTO offerings, parents will need it!

We're fine, thank you for checking, we have a storm shelter in the garage - can't say enough good stuff about the folks at FamilySafe, they make an awesome product - and our 'bug out' bags are poised at the door. DD takes her violin in the shelter, and of course we take the dog in and electronics to be able to track the storm - if wifi goes out we can hot spot.

We've had some rain already and the projections look like it'll get real here right around 5 o'clock and taper off around 5 a.m. I hope they're wrong, I hope things calm down altogether - there's already a mud puddle off the back porch where DH was excavating for the deck. He covered most of the area with a huge tarp and some bricks, and now the dog is just confused about whether or not she should jump the moat.

And frankly there are parts of Oklahoma, like Moore, that could use a break from all this. I can't even fathom the stress they must feel on a day like today.

I'm at 11 no spend days out of 20 - 55% - the frugal side of a forecast like today's is that I'm not going anywhere.
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Sandi's 2019: Wow This Is A Challenge!

Post by alliesmama4 »

SandiSAHM wrote: Mon May 20, 2019 12:46 pm They preemptively closed all the still-open schools in Tulsa and a couple close cities, along with OSU and RSU (state colleges in the area). Is it the whole state? They did this last night. I've lived here since '92 so I 'get' the caution, but WOW the parents who were not prepared to have their younger kids home today, I guess that's a day they're not going in?

Its an interesting precedent to set, there are entire weeks of late April and May where these kinds of storms can drop on us. Are storm days going to be like snow and super-cold days? If so I hope the local employers bump up their PTO offerings, parents will need it!

We're fine, thank you for checking, we have a storm shelter in the garage - can't say enough good stuff about the folks at FamilySafe, they make an awesome product - and our 'bug out' bags are poised at the door. DD takes her violin in the shelter, and of course we take the dog in and electronics to be able to track the storm - if wifi goes out we can hot spot.

We've had some rain already and the projections look like it'll get real here right around 5 o'clock and taper off around 5 a.m. I hope they're wrong, I hope things calm down altogether - there's already a mud puddle off the back porch where DH was excavating for the deck. He covered most of the area with a huge tarp and some bricks, and now the dog is just confused about whether or not she should jump the moat.

And frankly there are parts of Oklahoma, like Moore, that could use a break from all this. I can't even fathom the stress they must feel on a day like today.

I'm at 11 no spend days out of 20 - 55% - the frugal side of a forecast like today's is that I'm not going anywhere.
I was watching the weather channel this morning and they said the whole state was closing schools. They said it was two years ago today that they had tornadoes in that area and quite a few children were killed. I did not catch where the man was located that was giving the information other than he was in Oklahoma. He said a lot of people have shelters in their homes or outside of their homes to go to quickly and it would be safer for the children to be home.

Glad you have a shelter. I have one under my staircase in my basement. My basement is a walk out basement with almost floor to ceiling glass. I have things stored in my shelter in case we have to go there. I also have a couch and TV downstairs right next to the shelter so if things look bad I just stay down there and wait to see what needs to be done. The TV downstairs is an over the airwaves type. With satellite it can be knocked out and you do not know what is going on. Our local weather guys are great. They stay on the air and tell us where the storm is and when you need to take shelter. They also tell people to turn up their TV volume to loud so that when the danger is over they will get the all clear from them. However like I said with satellite it is iffy. I also have a NOOA weather radio that uses batteries and well as can be plugged in. Anyway good to hear you are prepared and reasonably safe with your shelter.
Janet Alliesmama
SandiSAHM
Posts: 2263
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:46 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Sandi's 2019: Wow This Is A Challenge!

Post by SandiSAHM »

alliesmama4 wrote: Mon May 20, 2019 1:42 pm I was watching the weather channel this morning and they said the whole state was closing schools. They said it was two years ago today that they had tornadoes in that area and quite a few children were killed. I did not catch where the man was located that was giving the information other than he was in Oklahoma. He said a lot of people have shelters in their homes or outside of their homes to go to quickly and it would be safer for the children to be home.

I know that in 2013 Moore, OK was just decimated, some elementary school children and teachers were killed and others sustained life-threatening injuries when their school was hit. And they did, when they rebuilt, make the schools safer, now every time they build a school they think about safe rooms within the structure.

What gets me about having kids home, though, some younger kids might do fine in a 2-3 hour 'latchkey' situation, but not fare so well on their own for 8-10 hours on a day like today - where it IS raging, to the west and the north of Tulsa, big time. Storm shelters are much less commonplace here than they should be - I lived here for 24 years without one, we just got one in 2016 and had the company move it here when we built again - they buyer of the last house preferred our refrigerator to the storm shelter. I didn't have the heart to tell him the fridge cost 1/5 what the shelter did, and the fridge won't save your life.

But kids alone get distracted. Cable TV, video games... and most will NOT have a shelter at home, even if they were paying enough attention to the weather to run for it if/when the tornado sirens go off. My last 2 houses? No where near a siren. Here, it's about 600 yards away, when it goes off during testing season (noon every Wednesday in fall/winter) it scares me half to death and makes the dog howl.

My kids have watched enough storm chasers - and met Sean Casey, got to climb into the TIV (Tornado Intercept Vehicle, that thing is like a tank, LOL) that they keep an eye on radar from 3 sources at one time and know a wall cloud from just a normal storm. Right now they're irked at KOTV because the online radar and the radar on the station's app don't sync. How is that even possible, I wonder.

I honestly believe 80% of kids would be safer at school that had shelter(s) than at home, especially if they're going to be home alone.


Glad you have a shelter. I have one under my staircase in my basement. My basement is a walk out basement with almost floor to ceiling glass. I have things stored in my shelter in case we have to go there. I also have a couch and TV downstairs right next to the shelter so if things look bad I just stay down there and wait to see what needs to be done. The TV downstairs is an over the airwaves type. With satellite it can be knocked out and you do not know what is going on. Our local weather guys are great. They stay on the air and tell us where the storm is and when you need to take shelter. They also tell people to turn up their TV volume to loud so that when the danger is over they will get the all clear from them. However like I said with satellite it is iffy. I also have a NOOA weather radio that uses batteries and well as can be plugged in. Anyway good to hear you are prepared and reasonably safe with your shelter.

I don't have TV, which is why we have to rely on other tech. Fortunately you can get live TV coverage online.

I really hope this peters out. You guys don't need this rain. We don't even need this rain, the Arkansas river, which in Tulsa is usually nothing more than a muddy riverbed, is cresting a bit because they released water from.... I think it's Keystone's dam; we don't need it much higher it could flood some things.
SandiSAHM
Posts: 2263
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:46 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Sandi's 2019: Wow This Is A Challenge!

Post by SandiSAHM »

Look! We've been dinked again. 43rd out of 50 in the best to worst listing.

Now I'm not from here, but, people, It's not that bad. I like it much better than some other places I've lived. I could definitely list more than 6 states that I wouldn't leave here for even if the $ was good.

Even those more than 6 states have some pretty areas though. It's just PARTS of some states that I'd prefer to avoid.

Though they do need to do something (but won't) about the sales tax on food here, that's just robbery, and about how education $$$ is spent, it's a mess.

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/best ... 19904.html
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Sandi's 2019: Wow This Is A Challenge!

Post by alliesmama4 »

SandiSAHM wrote: Mon May 20, 2019 4:41 pm
I taped the weather channel to see if they made reference to our area for tomorrow. When I came home the weather reporter was redefining what he had said earlier.Do not know if someone said something to him but he clarified the date of the Moore tornado as well indicated the schools that were being closed. Not sure if someone gave him more information or what. Anyway I hope all goes well for your area and you stay safe.

I am with you a storm shelter over a refrigerator any day is better.
Janet Alliesmama
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Sandi's 2019: Wow This Is A Challenge!

Post by alliesmama4 »

SandiSAHM wrote: Mon May 20, 2019 4:54 pm Look! We've been dinked again. 43rd out of 50 in the best to worst listing.

Now I'm not from here, but, people, It's not that bad. I like it much better than some other places I've lived. I could definitely list more than 6 states that I wouldn't leave here for even if the $ was good.

Even those more than 6 states have some pretty areas though. It's just PARTS of some states that I'd prefer to avoid.

Though they do need to do something (but won't) about the sales tax on food here, that's just robbery, and about how education $$$ is spent, it's a mess.

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/best ... 19904.html
Thanks for the link for the best and worst states. It was interesting. Two of my niece's and one nephew moved out of Washington state due to the increased costs and the increase in crime. They said so many people had relocated from California that it was getting too congested for them.
Janet Alliesmama
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