Ready to Withstand

Without question, Oklahomans are no strangers to severe weather and the terrible destruction that can result from it. Past experiences in distant and more recent times have served as sobering reminders that we must be ready at a moment’s notice to face tornadoes and other unpredictable weather patterns. In Oklahoma, it’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ that time will come.

This month marks two years since storms devastated my hometown of Moore and other communities in the surrounding areas and state. Since that very difficult time, we have undergone successful recovery efforts and sought to rebuild homes and structures that are stronger than before and better suited to withstand similar disasters.

While Oklahomans have proven that their spirit will always remain strong, we cannot prevent storms from occurring and threatening to shake that spirit. Already this year, tornadoes and flash floods have returned and caused destruction in our communities, including parts of Moore again and also Bridge Creek located in the Fourth District.

When families are forced to pick up the broken pieces or even left with nothing, it is critical that their replacement homes are ready to withstand future disasters. Not only should the structures be sound and secure, but I believe that construction of safe room shelters can help provide much-needed peace of mind to Oklahomans who have suffered losses from severe weather.

Recently, I offered legislation that would help families rebuild stronger, disaster-ready homes that include safe rooms through disaster loans. Currently, the Small Business Administration (SBA) provides homeowners, renters and personal-property owners with low-interest loans to help recover from a disaster. To clarify that these SBA disaster loans can be used by homeowners for construction of safe rooms in rebuilt homes, I introduced the Tornado Family Safety Act.

While we cannot know what the future holds with the weather, we can anticipate our response and prepare. In Oklahoma, that preparation should not only be a written plan but include having safe buildings and homes.