Storm Shelter Program

1999 Tornado

In 1999, the City of Midwest City was hit with an F4 tornado that was only slightly less intense than its F5 rating as it passed through the City of Moore. One hundred and eighty-eight homes were destroyed and three lives were lost. Community shelters were overwhelmed and people’s lives endangered while they tried to reach the community shelters as the tornado was bearing down on Midwest City.

Private Storm Shelter Grants

In order to increase the safety of its citizens, the City’s Emergency Operations Director began applying for FEMA and American Red Cross grants. These grants would provide more citizens with private storm shelters through a cost sharing initiative. Prior to the 1999 tornado, there were 749 known shelters.

Storm Shelter Program Registration

The City ramped up its efforts to improve the storm shelter registration process and the way that data is shared out to emergency responders. The effort continues today. In 2022 we had over 3440 registered private storm shelters. The shelter locations are obtained by GPS after installation and inspection by the City’s Building Inspectors, and registered shelters are mapped by the City’s GIS Division on shelter atlases and digitally for our EOC, Fire and Police Departments.

2015 OKAPA Award

In 2015, Midwest City won the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Planning Association Award for Outstanding Community Initiative for the Midwest City Storm Shelter Program. The name of the community initiative is the Midwest City Storm Shelter Program - A City’s Resilience in the Face of Natural Disaster.

Storm Shelter Program

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