Fans, First Responders Prepared If Severe Weather Threatens Downtown Tulsa

Tony Russell, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma - Lots of music fans were headed downtown for Paul McCartney's return to the BOK Center Wednesday night, celebrating the arena's fifth year in Tulsa.

Should the venue ever need to deal with severe weather with a concert going on, what kind of plans is in place?

Paul McCartney fans said they hoped the show would go on, despite the severe weather risk in our area. Meanwhile, emergency crews were on standby as people head downtown.

"Depending on what they say, we'll plan on the worst or hope for the best," said Michael Ginn, of EMSA.

Wednesday night, the BOK Center was prepared to fill up with thousands of screaming Paul McCartney fans.

"He's just the best. No one does a show like him. It's two-and-a-half hours, he doesn't stop. No one does that. No backup dancers. No singers. No dancing girls. Just him," said Linda Harger.

Harger and her longtime friend, Mary Major, are in Tulsa to see The Beatles star rock out.

"We became pen pals when we were 13-14 years old - Beatle Pen Pals - so we've been doing this for a long time," Major said.

5/28/2013 Related Story: Former Tulsa Mayor Helps Mark 5th Anniversary Of BOK Center

But meteorologists Wednesday warned our area is under risk for severe weather in the afternoon and evening hours.

"Only if the show doesn't go on, that's the only thing, but I'm not worried," Harger said.

First responders were also watching the changing weather.

"It's a two-day event, so we have crews up there already, and in case severe weather was to hit downtown Tulsa, we would station our ambulances strategically around downtown so we can flood that area quick and get those people out of there," Ginn said.

EMSA said they already had 10 paramedics on standby at the BOK Center for the two-day concert.

Back in 2005, a model of the downtown arena was put to a harsh wind test in a simulated wind tunnel. Plans back then were to build the BOK Center to withstand 100-mile-per-hour winds. In terms of a tornado, that would be in the range of an EF-1 tornado.

But for the two Beatles fans we talked to, that wasn't a concern.

"I don't let things like that worry me," Harger said.

As for emergency responders who know the power of Oklahoma's weather, they said they would be as ready as possible.

"The destruction that was caused in Moore, really you can't prepare for. There's nothing that can prepare you for the scope of what happened there," Ginn said.

We reached out to the BOK Center for comment about their severe weather plans. They said they were just too busy with the event to comment.