Disaster sheltersFew Oklahoma schools have safe room or shelters for weather emergencies
Almost two years after a tornado destroyed Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Oklahoma, fewer than half of the state’s 1,773 schools have a safe room, shelter, or basement where students and school staff can take cover in a weather emergency.More than 681,000 students currently attend Oklahoma schools; as many as 500,000 teachers and students are without shelter or a safe room at schools.“I’m afraid more schools are going to be hit and more students are going to be at risk. I’m deeply troubled that two years later we don’t have a plan,” says one expert.
Almost two years after a tornado destroyed Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Oklahoma, fewer than half of the state’s 1,773 schools have a safe room, shelter, or basement where students and school staff can take cover in a weather emergency.
“The vast majority of schools in Oklahoma do not have protection from tornado shelters,” said David Slane, an Oklahoma City attorney. “I don’t have much reason to believe that number has changed.”
After the massive tornado struck on 20 May 2013, state Representatives Mark McBride (R-Moore) and Jon Echols (R-Oklahoma City) launched the nonpartisan Shelter Oklahoma Schools (SOS) to help schools throughout the state cover the cost of building storm shelters or safe rooms. Edmond Sun reports that to date, nearly $1.7 million in donations have been sent to schools throughout the state.
Two years after the disaster, donations have dwindled. “There’s really no interest in contributing to Shelter Oklahoma Schools,” said McBride. While some money remains, fewer schools are approaching the organization for funding. Supporters of the organization say last year’s mild tornado season may have put emergency shelters out of people’s minds. McBride hopes the loss of interest is because schools have figured out a way to pay for shelters without asking for aid.
Slane was part of Take Shelter Oklahoma, a citizen-led campaign which sought a voter referendum for a $500 million bond to pay for school shelters. The effort twice failed to gather enough signatures to put the question on a ballot. “We felt like if we could get it on the ballot, the majority of Oklahomans would vote for school safety,” Slane said.
According to Take Shelter Oklahoma, in 2014, as many as 500,000 teachers and students were without shelter or a safe room at schools. More than 681,000 students currently attend Oklahoma schools. “I think we need to do more as a state to come up with a comprehensive tornado policy,” Slane said. “I’m afraid more schools are going to be hit and more students are going to be at risk. I’m deeply troubled that two years later we don’t have a plan.”
Just two weeks ago, a small tornado ripped off the roof at Southgate-Rippetoe Elementary School in Moore- no injuries were reported.
An attempt to develop a statewide plan for school shelters failed during last year’s legislative session despite lobbying by Governor Mary Fallin and McBride to allow school districts to exceed bond capacity to build shelters and safe rooms. Some school districts have decided to pay for projects by issuing multimillion-dollar bond packages on their own. Other school districts, including Moore, cannot afford to borrow money to build a shelter in every school, but have decided to include a shelter in every new building project.
“It will be a safe assumption that any future building we do will include a safe room,” said Dustin Horstkoetter, Moore school district’s director of safety and security.
