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BY JAMES COBURNCNHI News Service

The spring tornado out-look for Oklahoma isexpected to be similar tosix trend-matching LaNiña years, said StevenRoot, WeatherBank pres-ident and CEO.

WeatherBank, at onetime, employed one of thelargest groups of meteo-rologists of any privateweather company in theworld.

Then, weather forecast-ing services were provid-ed to a myriad of industrymarkets, including trans-portation, and most majornatural gas and utilitycompanies in NorthAmerica. Today, Weath-erBank’s owners and prin-cipal scientists apply itsexhaustive database andproprietary technologytoward wind farm devel-opment.

No tornadoes wereobserved in Oklahomaduring January and Feb-ruary, Root said. Slow tostart, this year shouldbring a total of 44 torna-

does, he said.This year will be a less

active season than themost recent five-year aver-age of 53 tornadoes, 10-year average of 54 torna-does and the 30- yearaverage of 57 tornadoes,Root said of statistics pro-vided by the NationalOceanic and AtmosphericAdministration. Themonth of May is expectedto peak with 18 tornadoes,followed by an activeJune, with 12 tornadoes.

“I expect a fall 2011 tobe benign, with no lateyear peak,” he said.

The fewest Oklahomatornadoes occurred in1988 having a total thatyear of 18. The largestnumber of tornadoes inany year occurred in 1999,with a total of 143; 1999also contained the F5 tor-nado that devastatedMoore on May 3 causingwell more than $1 billionin damage.

Since last July,Edmond’s weather hasbeen dominated by a LaNiña condition, a state ofcold sea surface tempera-

tures occurring across theequatorial Pacific Ocean.El Niño and La Niña rep-

resent opposite extremesin the southern oscillationcycle.

“I keep track of thisindex, since extremes inthe index can, and oftentimes does, precede radi-cally changing andextreme weather here inOklahoma,” Root said.

“Measurements rangefrom -3.5 (La Niña) to +3.5(El Niño), the most recent

measurement of thisindexmade at the end ofFebruary and was foundto be -1.523.”

Root compared the cur-rent La Niña event with allothers since 1949.

“Using publicly avail-able data sets I isolatedsix past La Niña events

matching this criteria;1988-89, 1973-74, 1970-71,1964-65, 1954-55 and 1949-

50,” Root said.“Since October 2010,

the main storm track orjet stream has had a per-sistent tendency to formlower pressures along orjust off the Californiacoastline,” Root said.

“With this pattern,much of the southwestern

United States, especiallythe Sierra Nevada Moun-tains and the centralRockies have been inun-dated with storminess.When the center of stormactivity shifts eastward,say to near ColoradoSprings and Albuquerque(especially duringspring), Oklahoma’s tor-nado count increases.”

A typical La Niña pat-tern brings colder thannormal temperaturesin these regions andless than normal pre-cipitation. In contrast,a La Niña pattern inOklahoma is usuallywarmer and drier thannormal, Root contin-ued. Oklahoma City’sweather conditionsfrom Oct. 1 throughMarch 12 was warmerthan normal with a +0.8degree F. OklahomaCity also was drierthan normal with - 6.08inches of precipitation.La Niña will continueas the dominant weath-er feature well into theOklahoma summer,Root said.

Milder tornado season forecast for 2011

GRAPH SOURCE: WEATHERBANK

CNHI News Service

OKLAHOMA CITY— The start of springtraditionally marksthe start of severeweather season andan increased riskedrisk of property dam-age from wind, rain,hail, floods and torna-does, Oklahoma

Insurance Commis-sioner John Doakreminded Okla-homans on Tuesday.

“Records show thattwo-thirds of Okla-homa’s tornadoesoccur from March to

May,” Doak said.“While tornadoes mayhave the highestpotential for signifi-cant widespread dam-age, the high winds,heavy rains and flood-ing that often accom-panies spring stormscan cause great dam-age to personal andbusiness property.”

Doak said one ofthe first steps to pre-pare for springstorms is to conductan insurance checkupto make certain anindividual or business

has the right cover-age and for the rightamounts.

“Often, peopledon’t think muchabout their insurancepolicies once theyhave purchasedthem,” Doakexplained, “butthings can change.Your home or busi-ness’ value may haveincreased or maybeyou have added on.You may have pur-chased new items foryour home.

These things can

increase your insur-ance needs, so itimportant to check tosee that you have theright coverage at theproper level for yourhome or business.”

Doak said threequestions should beasked:

• What type of cov-erage do I have?

• How much cover-age do I need?

• What are my dis-counts anddeductibles?

“Your insuranceagent or company will

be happy to discussyour policy with youand make recommen-dations for changes inyour coverage,” Doaksaid.

The insurance com-missioner alsoreminded Okla-homans to take stepsto protect their per-sonal safety as thesevere storm seasonnears.

“The OklahomaOffice of EmergencyManagement sug-gests that families,individuals and busi-

nesses create anemergency plan,”Doak said. “Familiesshould also preparean emergency supplykit and everyoneshould identify thesafest places to go athome and work in theevent of severeweather.”

More informationon preparing beforean emergencystrikes can be foundon the Office ofEmergency Manage-ment’s Web site,www.oem.ok.gov.

Insurance commissioner urges spring storm preparation

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Create an emergencyplan

Steps to take in creatinga household emergencyplan include:

• Schedule a familymeeting to discuss the dan-gers of possible emergencyevents including fire, severeweather, hazardous spillsand terrorism.

• Discuss how you andyour family will respond toeach possible emergency.

• Discuss what to do incase of power outages orpersonal injuries.

• Draw a floor plan ofyour home and mark twoescape routes from eachroom.

• Because it is often eas-ier to call long distance dur-ing an emergency thanwithin the affected area,choose an out-of-state friendor relative whom all familymembers will call if separat-ed during an emergency.

• Pick two meetingplaces – one near yourhome and one outside yourneighborhood in case youcannot return home after anemergency.

* Keep family recordsin a water- and fireproofsafe. Inexpensive modelscan be purchased at mosthardware stores.

Watches and Warn-ings

Oklahomans are remind-ed that tornadoes can occurany time of year. Knowingthe difference betweenwatches and warnings canhelp save lives.

A TORNADO WATCHmeans tornadoes are possi-ble.

A TORNADO WARN-ING means a tornado hasbeen sighted.

When a TORNADOWARNING is issued, takeshelter in a basement, awayfrom windows. If there is

no basement, go to an inte-rior room, like a closet, onthe ground floor.

Prepare a DisasterSupply Kit

Electricity, water, heat,air conditioning or tele-phone service may notwork in an emergency.Preparing disaster supplykits in advance can save pre-cious time in the event youmust evacuate or go with-out utilities for an extendedperiod.

Store items for a “go” kitin an easy-to-carry bag andkeep in a car or in thegarage. The “home” kit canbe stored in a plastic tub orgarbage can and kept inyour home’s safest placewhere you will take shelter.

Consider including thefollowing items when put-ting together your disastersupply kit:

• At least a 3-day supplyof water (1 gallon per person

per day). Store water insealed, unbreakable contain-ers. Replace every 6months.

• A 3- to 5-day supply ofnonperishable packaged orcanned food and a non-elec-tric can opener.

• A change of clothing,rain gear and sturdy shoes.

• Blankets, bedding orsleeping bags.

• A first aid kit and pre-scription medications (besure to check expirationdates).

• An extra pair of glassesor contact lenses and solu-tion.

• Special items forinfants, the elderly or familymembers with disabilities.

• A battery-poweredradio, a flashlight and extrabatteries.

Identify Your SafestPlace at Home, Work

Before an emergencystrikes, take time to identify

your safest place at home, atwork and at school. Manypeople have survived strongtornadoes in a closet orsmall interior room withoutwindows. Usually the safestplace will be on the lowestfloor. If you live in a mobilehome, identify the neareststurdy building – it may notbe safe to remain in amobile home during astorm.

At schools, offices andhospitals, preparednessplans are especially impor-tant due to the large num-ber of people on hand andthe large amount of glass atmany sites. Know the safestplace for you to shelter inplace and make sure othersknow their assigned loca-tion as well. At shoppingmalls, indoor pools andgymnasiums, long span-ning buildings are common-ly found. These locationscan be dangerous because

the entire roof can beensupported by the outsidewalls. If caught in such anopen building, the restroommay be the best place totake shelter.

If possible, one of thebest ways to prepare for sur-vival in Tornado Alley stateslike Oklahoma is to build orinstall a SafeRoom in yourhome or workplace. Yourlocal emergency manageror homebuilders associa-tion will have informationabout SafeRooms. Plan howto get to your safest place,and share the informationwith your family.

After the StormOnce severe weather has

passed, be prepared for pos-sible flooding to occur. Also,watch for downed powerlines and never drive intohigh water.

Source: Oklahoma Depart-ment of Emergency Manage-ment - www.oem.ok.gov

Before an emergency strikes

Special to the Transcript

AAA Oklahomaoffers the followingtips for motoristswho find themselvesin a motor vehiclewhen a tornadowarning is issued.

Leave your vehicleimmediately andseek shelter.

Never try to outruna tornado. Your vehi-

cle will offer no pro-tection from atwister. Plus, it isimpossible to knowwhich direction atornado may decideto go.

Seek shelterindoors. A basementis safest. Closets orsmall interior roomsare best. Get under asturdy piece of furni-

ture or mattress andstay away from southand west walls andall windows.

If you are caughtin the open, with noindoor buildingsavailable to you, finda ditch, ravine orlow-lying area and lieflat. Stay away fromroadway overpasses.

Do not seek shel-

ter in a mobile home.These structures,even if tied down,offer little protectionfrom tornadoes andshould be aban-doned.

A “tornado warn-ing” means a twisteris developing or isactually on theground. It is moresevere than a “torna-

do watch,” whichmeans conditions arefavorable for thedevelopment ofsevere thunder-storms, which mayor may not spawntornadoes.

Remember, wetroads mean poortraction. Conditionsare most dangerousduring the first ten

minutes of a heavydownpour as oil anddebris wash away.Driving on wet roadsin the rain is just likedriving on ice. Takeit easy. Allow extratime.

Never use yourmotor vehicle’scruise control fea-ture in rainy weath-er.

Tornado safety tips for motoristsFriday, April 29, 2011 E3

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BY MARK SCHLACHT-ENHAUFENCNHI News Service

A state lawmaker and amanufactured housingassociation have joinedforces to prevent tornadodeaths.

As part of the effort, a for-mer Edmond fire officialnow working for OklahomaCounty is working on relat-ed sample emergencyplans.

The Manufactured Hous-ing Association of Okla-homa board of directors has

accepted the recommenda-tion of state Rep. Pat Own-bey, R-Ardmore, to helpprovide sample emergencyplans for mobile home com-munities to prevent deathsin the event of a tornado orother disaster.

Since the organizationhas voluntarily agreed to dowhat he had proposed in abill last year, he does notplan to push the legislationagain, Ownbey said.

Ownbey said his concernalways has been for thesafety of residents in man-ufactured housing parks,and he filed legislation aftera tornado in Februay 2009killed seven people in aLone Grove mobile homepark.

A storm associated with

the same system spawnedthe Feb. 10, 2009, tornadothat damaged homes innorth Edmond. It also pro-duced tornadoes in Okla-homa City, Pawnee and Wil-son.

The Lone Grove tornadowas rated an EF-4, and ini-tial assessments showedthe damage path was about4 miles long and a half-milewide. The Edmond tornadowas rated an EF-2.

Ownbey’s legislationgained support in the Legis-lature but failed to make itthrough the full processbefore the last days of ses-sion, Ownbey said. After itfailed, he sought the sup-port of the ManufacturedHousing Association.

“My concern, along with

the association, was that mybill would have inadvertent-ly created a liability for man-ufactured housing parks,”Ownbey said.

The Manufactured Hous-ing Association of Okla-homa Board of Directorsagreed to Ownbey’s recom-mendation on Dec. 13.

Ownbey said the Manu-factured Housing Associa-tion of Oklahoma will part-ner with the OklahomaEmergency ManagementAssociation and implementa program to get the wordout to the estimated 600mobile home communitiesthroughout Oklahoma.

The two organizationswill send a sample emer-gency plan to each commu-nity and encourage the

owners to enlist the assis-tance of local or countyemergency managementofficials to help assist withdeveloping a voluntary planto address any natural orman-made disaster.

David Barnes, director ofOklahoma County Emer-gency Management, isworking with the Manufac-tured Housing Associationon the sample plans. Hesaid ensuring residentshave access to multiplesources of information onweather conditions andknowledge of where theycan go in the event of a dis-aster is crucial.

“We’re looking at a cou-ple of primary factors,”Barnes said. “One is aware-ness. It is extremely impor-

tant that people can accessmultiple sources of informa-tion regarding weather con-ditions and warnings.”

The other is people needto know is where a closesource of shelter is, Barnessaid.

Barnes said that pro-grammable all-hazardradios are inexpensive andallow individuals to pro-gram codes specific towhere they live to get localweather information. Hesaid personal electronicdevices now have access towarnings and weatherupdates.

Ownbey said he is confi-dent that this collaborationwill lead to greater safety formobile home and manufac-tured home residents.

Alliance works to prevent tornado deathsFeb. 2009 stormsystem inspiredaction, effort

OEM tells howtornado victims canprotect themselvesfrom being victim-ized twice

CNHI News Service

In the wake of a dis-aster, it is common tosee the generous sidehuman nature. Unfor-tunately, the sinisterside also shows itspresence. That’s whythe

Oklahoma Depart-ment of EmergencyManagement isinforming residents tobe aware of possiblescams fromunscrupu-lous contractors andothers who often tar-get victims duringthis stressful time.

OEM recommendsindividuals use thesame responsiblebusiness practicesthey would duringnon-disaster times indealing with andselecting contractorsduring disaster times.This includes:

• Be extremelycautious of anyonecoming to your homeuninvited and offeringto do home repairs.

• Be alert to indi-viduals canvassingyour neighborhood inan unmarked van ortruck.

• Insist on obtain-ing a written estimateor contract.

• Be sure the con-tract or business cardhas an address, tele-phone number and

license numbers.All contractors

doing business in thestate are required toregister. While not aguarantee of perform-ance, registrationdoes mean the con-tractor has minimalliability insurance anda surety bond that canprotect the consumerif there is a problem.

• Ask for refer-ences and checkthem out.

• Don’t be pres-sured into making aquick decision.

• Obtain three sep-arate bids on the job.

• Insist on startand completion datesin the contract, and donot pay the final bal-ance until the work iscompleted to your sat-

isfaction.• Be cautious in

dealing with a con-tractor who asks for alarge down payment.

• Ask contractors ifthey have done thistype of repair workbefore, if they will bepurchasing necessarypermits, and if thework will be inspect-ed.

• Avoid makingfinal payment untilyou have received alien release. When fil-ing insurance claims:

• Report all proper-ty damage to yourinsurance agentimmediately. Youragent should provideyou with claim formsand arrange for aninsurance adjuster tovisit your property

and assess the dam-age.

•Make emergencyrepairs and documentthem. Keep allreceipts and take pho-tographs of the dam-ages, before and afteremergency repairs, tosubmit with yourclaim.

• Take precautionsif the damagesrequire you to leaveyour home. Secureyour property.Remove valuableitems. Lock windowsand doors. Contactyour insurance agentand leave a phonenumber where youcan be reached.Remember to updatethis contact informa-tion if you have torelocate further

“People impactedby disasters can beparticularly vulnera-ble,” said OEM Direc-tor Albert Ashwood.“This important infor-mation can help themmove forward in therecovery process andalso prevent themfrom being victimizedtwice.”

OEM encouragesanyone who believeshe or she may havewitnessed fraudulentactivity to report itimmediately. In addi-tion to the local betterbusiness bureau,reports may be madeto the OklahomaAttorney GeneralConsumer ProtectionUnit at 405- 521-2029or online atwww.oag.state.ok.us.

Tips for avoiding fraud

E4 Friday, April 29, 2011

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E6 Friday, April 29, 2011