Tornadoes raked southwestern Oklahoma on Monday.  A couple in Tipton was spared the wrath of a twister when they took shelter in a storm cellar.  They had to stay there longer than planned because of an uprooted tree that was blocking their exit.

In Tulsa County, you can register your storm shelter with emergency officials.  Tulsa Emergency Management Director Roger Jolliff says they can take your information and they do keep a list of storm shelters but he adds not to count of them to find you if you wind up trapped in a shelter after a disaster.

Jolliff says the reality is they may be overwhelmed if we get hit by a major storm so it could be a very long time before they look for you.  Instead, he suggests an alternative plan.

Your best bet according to Jolliff is to have a friend or relative as part of your disaster plan.  He says it is best if that person does not live in your neighborhood.  If a storm were to trap you in a storm shelter, Jolliff says that person would be able to check on you much faster than they would, and would be able to alert the proper authorities if you were trapped.

Still, you can register a storm shelter with the county, it doesn’t hurt.  Jolliff says you can do that by calling (918)596-9899.