Oklahoma City is located in the heart of the state. It is well connected by highways and even though the city has only one major airport, Will Rogers World Airport, visitors come and go with ease. Once here, unless you are staying downtown, you’ll want to have a car of your own, especially if you are staying for an extended visit. Oklahoma City does have METRO Transit (www.gometro.org), which consists of buses and trolleys, but a vehicle will allow you to get around quickly and more easily.
To get your bearings, there are a few things you must know. First, the city is laid out in named streets and numbered streets. Major named streets run north and south. Numbered streets run east and west. Second, the north and south sides of the city are divided by Reno Avenue. Everything north of Reno will be called north and then the name or number of the street. Everything south will be called south and the name or number of the street. Third, east and west is divided by Broadway and Santa Fe. Which means everything west of Santa Fe, will be west in the address and vice versa for the east side. This divides the city into four pieces of a pie. There are exceptions to these rules, but for the most part, remember the divisions and you can find your way around easily.
When driving around town, you will find that because of the city’s expansive interstate system, you can get from one side of the city to the other in about 35 to 45 minutes, unless it is rush hour. Highways and streets get crowded from about 6:30 to 9 a.m. and from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Turn on your radio and relax. Unless there is a major accident on the highway you’re on, traffic will still flow at a nominal speed even though it may be quite thick. Residents here have learned to add 10 to 15 minutes to their drive time during these busy hours. If you get lost or need assistance, don’t hesitate to ask someone for directions or help. Okies, as Oklahomans are called, are a friendly bunch and will be happy to assist you in any way they can.
Driving in Oklahoma City weather can become tricky, particularly during tornado season, which is generally Mar through Aug, although tornadoes can happen any time of the year. Storms tend to move from west to east. When dark clouds gather in the west, be it north or south, drivers should tune their radio to any number of the local radio stations, although KOMA-FM92.5, seems to be the station of choice because Gary England, a native Oklahoman and local weatherman, warns locals from this station. When storms start building, the stations begin broadcasting information about where the storms are, how severe they are, and where they are headed. A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for a tornado to form. A tornado warning means a tornado has formed or is on the ground.
Famous for its severe weather, the city has built an early warning system for its residents in the form of loud sirens. They are located throughout the city and when the National Weather Service sees a tornado on its radar in the area, the sirens go off.
If you are driving and a tornado is imminent and you see it or debris or hear sirens, do not try to outrun a tornado. Tornadoes have a tendency to twist and turn in location at will. Lives have been lost by drivers trying to outrun a tornado and actually driving in to it. Leave your vehicle immediately. Cars and pickups offer no protection. People are actually safer outside as tornadoes have been known to pick up vehicles and toss them around like toys. Seek shelter. If you are downtown, public and civic buildings have underground shelters. If you are in a business location, go to an inside hallway at the lowest level of the building. Avoid places with wide-span roofs such as auditoriums, cafeterias, large hallways, or shopping malls. Get under heavy pieces of furniture and use your arms to protect your head and neck. If shelter is not available or there is no time to go indoors, find a ditch, ravine, or low-lying area and lie as flat as you can. Once again use your arms to protect your head and neck. Avoid overpasses and underpasses. While many may think an underpass is a safe place to be during a storm, it can expose people to flying debris and in some cases individuals have been sucked up in tornadoes while thinking they are safe up under an underpass.
During storms in Oklahoma, be aware of the potential for flash flooding. These storms can dump inches of rain in a matter of minutes. Never drive into water covering the roadways. Flood-related drownings occur because of vehicles driving into flood waters. The safest thing to do if you see water covering the road is to turn around and find an alternative route.