My 2 Cents: OK Homebuilders Required To Put In Storm Shelters?

Kelly Ogle, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- I could kick myself for not having a safe room constructed when we built our house.

But that was 16 years ago, four years before the strongest tornado ever obliterated parts of the metro. Way before the streets around our house started getting clogged with traffic headed for public shelters whenever the sirens sound.

And the traffic jams will only be worse next time because of what happened in Piedmont and Goldsby and elsewhere a couple of weeks ago.

It makes me wonder if homebuilders shouldn't be required to add a storm proof closet or below ground storm shelter in every home they build.

It would add $2,000 or $3,000 onto the price of a house, but you'd hardly even notice that on the average $100,000 home.

I question whether more public shelters are the answer, because I fear we're going to get more people killed out on the roads trying to get to those places at the last minute.

What do you think? Should Oklahoma homebuilders be required to include storm shelters?