Emergency Management Keeping Eyes On Weather At Tulsa State Fair

Emergency management at the Tulsa State Fair is watching the weather and say they’re prepared if severe weather hits.

For 11 days, the Tulsa State Fairgrounds in midtown turns into a small city.

Thousands of people flood the midway for a chance to ride the newest rides or show in a livestock competition.

And while you're enjoying the latest show, emergency management is watching the sky.

Tulsa County Emergency Management Director Roger Jolliff works behind the scenes in his communications trailer, monitoring the changing weather conditions.

"We've had a lot of conversations, phone calls back and forth trying to ensure just what we think the weather threat is," Jolliff said.

He's watching the latest forecast discussions, talks with the National Weather Service and relays that info to fair officials.

Jolliff said, "All the folks running the fair are getting this information so they can make decisions about how to keep their part of the fair safe, so we're sharing that information daily."

The fairgrounds has an outdoor warning siren tied to the county-wide network, but Jolliff said that should be a last resort for anyone worried about seeking shelter at the fair.

There are a lot of options for shelter on the 28-acre fairgrounds. Just about every bathroom on the fairgrounds acts as a storm shelter; there are also several buildings you can run into to get out of the elements.

Jolliff said everyone should be prepared for severe weather.

"Every year we deal with some kind of weather during the fair. 11 days we have some kind of weather, so people can still come to the fair and have a great time - the good thing is there's a lot of inside venues, there's a lot of outside activity to do."

Vendors like Tami Hawkins are always prepared.

“I feel safe. I don't think that there's anything out here that we can't handle,” she said. “This is Oklahoma weather, we're used to it."

If you’re going to the fair and want to keep up with the weather, you can download the News On 6 weather app.