‘Impractical:' OKC Leaders Explain Reasons For No City Tornado Shelters

The News 9 weather team always gives warning ahead of storms and the city of OKC also offers severe weather safety information. However, Oklahoma City does not have any public storm shelters. The city said people should prepare at home. 

“Plan ahead,” said Kristy Yager, a spokesperson for the city. “Get ahead of it. Make sure you know where your whole family is.” 

Yager said the costs of public shelters in OKC outweigh the benefits and it’s why the city won’t entertain the idea. 

 “The city of Oklahoma City has never had public shelters,” Yager said. “Too many problems that could happen. Financially it would just be too difficult to do. It’s impractical.” 

Many surrounding metro cities offer public shelters – a spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management says each city makes those decisions.  

 Yager said OKC covers too much ground for public shelters to function. OKC covers more than 600 square miles and has a population of about 700,000 people. She said shelters could cloud people’s judgment and create a safety hazard. 

“The last place we want people to be is in their cars,” Yager said. “We don’t want people driving to a shelter when they hear the sirens.” 

Yager said the focus on forecasts and strategic communication to educate the community about severe weather preparation. 

“Find a place to go before a tornado starts,” Yager said. 

As for communities that have public storm shelters -- officials said people should check with their local city for locations.