Tornado Shelters Near Me

Where is the closest tornado shelter?

There is an interactive map that is frequently updated with locations of places to seek shelter. My advice is to drive to the locations listed to verify they actually do exist and are accessible. You don’t want to find out at the last minute that the location near you isn’t valid.

Most big cities do not have public shelters, including Oklahoma City. If you do not have a shelter, you want to take cover in a well-built structure, such as your home, on the lowest floor, in the center part of the building, away from all outside walls and windows. Protect yourself from flying debris with anything nearby. If you are in a mobile home, you need to find a nearby structure as they can only withstand EF0 strength tornadoes. If you are in an apartment complex, get to know your downstairs neighbor.

Regarding the decision to install a tornado shelter at your place of residence, it is simply a matter of personal preference. There are above ground and below. Choose based on your mobility, accessibility, sound, and wifi access. As long as it’s built according to FEMA guidelines, you should be fine.

For more information from FEMA, visit their informative site here: FEMA Safe Rooms

Aaron Tuttle Meteorologist

Flash Drought and More Rain This Weekend A Flash Drought is developing across the Southern Plains. The Evaporative Demand Drought Index (EDDI) shows an extremely thirsty atmosphere pulling moisture from the landscape. So it's a good thing we're at least getting these weak disturbances to rotate through. On occasion, they will produce some rainfall. We had a pretty strong one move through this morning across the E half of Oklahoma. If you look at the 500mb vorticity animation, you will see the upper ridge centered across Colorado. These disturbances rotate around the top and come down on the east side of the ridge across Oklahoma. You can watch the (colored) clusters of waves move through. One today, followed by one tomorrow morning and then another Sunday afternoon. The bulk of the rain signal with these is across the E half of the state. Isolated activity can still occur elsewhere, however. Rainfall amounts aren't always that great due to the drier conditions in the atmosphere. Amounts can vary from a few hundredths to over an inch for the lucky ones. We'll take anything we can get for the remainder of August. This will also keep those 100s at bay a bit where the clouds linger into the afternoon. Long-term, a strong El Niño will kickstart a rainy pattern once we transition into September and October. This will last through the winter and into early Spring. So while the drought is severe, it will be short-lived. Save what you can! -AT

Aaron Tuttle Meteorologist

Flash Drought and More Rain This Weekend A Flash Drought is developing across the Southern Plains. The Evaporative Demand Drought Index (EDDI) shows an extremely thirsty atmosphere pulling moisture from the landscape. So it's a good thing we're at least getting these weak disturbances to rotate through. On occasion, they will produce some rainfall. We had a pretty strong one move through this morning across the E half of Oklahoma. If you look at the 500mb vorticity animation, you will see the upper ridge centered across Colorado. These disturbances rotate around the top and come down on the east side of the ridge across Oklahoma. You can watch the (colored) clusters of waves move through. One today, followed by one tomorrow morning and then another Sunday afternoon. The bulk of the rain signal with these is across the E half of the state. Isolated activity can still occur elsewhere, however. Rainfall amounts aren't always that great due to the drier conditions in the atmosphere. Amounts can vary from a few hundredths to over an inch for the lucky ones. We'll take anything we can get for the remainder of August. This will also keep those 100s at bay a bit where the clouds linger into the afternoon. Long-term, a strong El Niño will kickstart a rainy pattern once we transition into September and October. This will last through the winter and into early Spring. So while the drought is severe, it will be short-lived. Save what you can! -AT

Aaron Tuttle Meteorologist

Protected: Could it be Our Last Week?

A Welcomed Break in the Heat and More Rain Coming

Rain Returns but Fire Danger and Extreme Heat Continue

Fire Danger and Extreme Heat Expand, and a Rare Astronomical Event

Standard August Pattern

Rinse and Repeat with More Heat

Tornado Shelters Near Me

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Meteorologist Aaron Tuttle