According to NOAA, in 2017 there were sixteen weather and climate disaster events across the United States with individual losses exceeding one billion dollars. These events included one drought event, two flooding events, one freeze event, eight severe storm events, three tropical cyclone events, and one wildfire event. Overall, these events resulted in the deaths of 362 people, with significant economic effects on the each of the impacted areas. Oklahoma was impacted by four of the sixteen events.
Severe weather is nothing new in Oklahoma. Oklahomans are regularly subject to ice storms, blizzards, tornadoes, floods, drought, hailstorms, straight-line winds, or even the occasional dust storm. As Oklahomans, we see it all in.
Widespread damage from hail and straight-line winds occurred to the tune of $2.7 billion in five Southeast and South Central states, with a late April 2017 flooding causing $1.7 billion in damages as well -- twenty fatalities were associated with this flooding. Hailstorms and damaging winds in May 2017 caused $3.4 Billion in damages across five southwestern states.
Let’s not forget Hurricanes Maria, Irma, and Harvey all made landfall last year, and all as Category 3+ storms. Oklahoma received significant rainfall and flooding from each of these storms.
A late season ice event closed schools, businesses, and government offices across the state just last month in February.
What does all this mean for the Oklahoma home or small business owner? Home and Business owners should know how to prepare for severe weather. It’s important that your home, family, employees and/or small business are protected against these severe weather threats. The good news is, there are also steps you should take to mitigate these risks.
The 3rd of an eight-part Speaker Series at Rose State College, co-sponsored with the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, will present some of this crucial information on March 29th at 6:30 pm. What can you do to prepare is the essential question; knowing how is the answer.