Prepare for Oklahoma's severe weather

FORT SILL, Okla. (April 24, 2014) -- Severe weather season is upon us. Actually, severe weather is always upon us in Oklahoma.

The threat just changes from season to season, be it a blizzard or ice storms, high temperatures, drought, the threat of wildfires, and, of course, tornadoes almost any time of year. To help people be ready to respond to severe weather or other types of disaster, the National Weather Service (NWS) and the Federal Emergency Management System (FEMA) have developed the "Be Prepared, Don't Be Scared" campaign. These agencies, along with other federal, state and local emergency management offices, want everyone to be prepared for severe storms and other potential disasters.

"During the threat of severe weather, residents of Fort Sill and Southwest Oklahoma must be 'weather aware.' They should understand the potential hazards, and the level of risk to this area. That is why it is important for people to have a plan prior to the storm. The worst time to begin preparing for a storm or disaster is when something is about to occur," said Steve Gluck, Fort Sill Emergency Management director.

Gluck went on to state that there is no such thing as a FEMA-approved shelter. FEMA does not approve shelters. They only provide building codes and guidance when a builder constructs a shelter. He also said most buildings on Fort Sill are not designated as "official shelters."

"There are no regulations, directives or other requirements to provide emergency sheltering for anyone. Most all jurisdictions now do not provide any sort of community emergency sheltering because of liabilities, and the fact that they would all need to meet Americans with Disabilities Act laws. Also, most people, being creatures of habit, or failing to have made preparedness plans prior to a storm, will get on the road and look for a shelter. This is absolutely what we do not want them to do," Gluck said.

What are people supposed to do if there is the threat of severe weather or other disaster?

"Obviously the best plan is to 'shelter in place,' especially if there isn't time to leave where you are and go to another shelter. The last thing people want to do is get caught out in the open when the storm hits. But if people don't think they will be safe where they are, we recommend that they look around ahead of time for a safe place to go. See how long it takes to get there. Will it be open when you get there? Will you have access? You may find that the place you picked is the same one a lot of other people have picked, and there may be issues, especially if you bring a pet and other people did, too," Gluck said.

"If they don't think they can stay where they are because there isn't a basement or safe room, then they should move to another shelter they have selected as soon as possible."

There are some buildings and facilities at Fort Sill that can serve as shelters during severe weather, said Gluck.

"Snow Hall and Reynolds Army Community Hospital are the only Fort Sill community designated emergency shelters. This means they will provide adequate protection against severe weather and tornadoes.

Also, nearly all on-post housing has either a basement or a FEMA-compliant safe room. Corvais Military Housing can provide more information to residents regarding those shelters," he said.

Gluck also stated a number of other buildings and facilities on post have basements and could be used for emergency sheltering, but there are certain safety considerations that should be taken into account. "Does the building have a lot of windows? Is there a chance you might be trapped in the building if it is severely hit, or there is flooding?" he said.

"This is where weather awareness kicks in. If there is the potential for severe weather that day, then everyone should pay close attention to where, and when the weather may turn bad, and plan trips accordingly. Don't wait until the last minute to run out and try to get storm supplies; do it well in advance, so you don't get caught out in the storm. Also, always pay attention to local weather forecasts. Meteorologists always work to keep everyone advised of severe weather situations." Gluck said. "KSWO-TV in Lawton is really good at posting information, and I always recommend looking at and following the NWS Norman office on Facebook: www.facebook.com/US.NationalWeatherService.Norman.gov, or the weather service's Norman Twitter site: www.twitter.com/nwsnorman.

"We really want people to better prepare themselves prior to severe weather or other incidents. The more they are prepared, the more it will ease their suffering. All EMS offices are short on first responders, and should we have a large, damaging or catastrophic incident, it could be some time before we could help people. Individual preparedness is one of the most important factors in taking care of everyone," Gluck said.

For more information about disaster preparedness, call Fort Sill Emergency Management Systems at 580-442-2533; or the Lawton/Comanche County EMS office at 580-355-0535.

FEMA also has created a book titled "Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness" to guide people as they prepare for disasters of every situation.

It can be downloaded in PDF form from www.ready.gov/are-you-ready-guide. There is also good information for Soldiers and their families at the "Ready Army" site. This site is part of a campaign to increase resiliency of the Army community and enhance readiness of Soldiers, family members, Army civilians and contractors to deal with all kinds of disasters, from severe weather to terrorism. Go to www.acsim.army.mil/readyarmy/ for more information.