State Lawmaker Says Tornado Evacuation Plans Needed For Mobile Home Parks

By Craig Day, The News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A couple of bills that will be considered in the upcoming legislative session are designed to keep people safe during severe weather. They require evacuation plans and storm shelters in mobile home parks across the state.

State Rep. Pat Ownbey of Ardmore has filed a bill to require the owner of a mobile home park to provide tenants with a plan for sheltering or evacuation in case of an emergency.

The plan would be developed with the help of the municipality where the mobile home park is located, the county emergency operations office or the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.

When a tornado hit Lone Grove last year, it killed eight people and injured dozens.

2/11/2009 Related story: Lone Grove Family Finds Safety In Closet

"Safety is a big issue in the manufactured housing industry," said Mike Harrison, a mobile home park owner.

Mike Harrison is on the governor's advisory council on manufactured housing. The News On 6 asked for his take on the bills. House Bill 2835 requires park owners to develop and provide tenants with a severe weather response plan.

"Who would be opposed to a good plan to make sure if you hear a siren, you have a good place to go? You know where to go and everybody is educated. I think that's a great idea," said Mike Harrison.

While Harrison likes the idea, he says another measure, House bill 2870, would likely be too difficult and costly to implement. It requires land owners with five or more mobile home lots to provide an eight-person storm shelter for every three homes.

"As a, maybe a smaller community with a 20 space park, I don't know how you could ever afford to do that," said Mike Harrison.

Harrison says tax incentives might make it more affordable. But, there is still the issue of where to put shelters.

"For most of the existing parks, there's just no space," said Mike Harrison.

Harrison says another option might be to require shelters in future, rather than existing parks.

No matter the pros and cons, Harrison says its good people are thinking about safety, as we get closer to another severe weather season.

If passed, the severe weather plan bill would require plans to be in place by March 1, 2011 with the storm shelter bill taking effect November 1, 2010.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.