Good Neighbor Stories

State Farm Cuts Oklahoma Auto Rates 9.5%

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 13:19:12 -0500

Driving behaviors across the country continue to evolve during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on current trends, State Farm® is working to reduce auto insurance rates in Oklahoma by an average of 9.5%. This rate reduction will save 813,000 Oklahoma State Farm customers a total of $59 million. The rate reduction applies to current customers at policy renewal, as well as new and returning customers.

“Current State Farm driving data and claims experience show a considerable decline in miles driven and fewer accidents,” said Phillip Hawkins, Sr. Vice President, State Farm. “As a result, we’re looking for ways to continue supporting our Oklahoma customers while we monitor and adjust to trends.”

In addition to the auto rate reduction, the discount for participating in Drive Safe & Save™ is increasing to 10%, and empowers drivers to save more on their auto premiums through driving behaviors.

Rate changes in Oklahoma are subject to regulatory approval. Customer rate reductions will vary based on their individual renewals Customers are encouraged to visit with their State Farm agent about individual policies, coverage and any opportunities for discounts, including Drive Safe & Save.

Oklahoma Drivers Benefit from State Farm® Auto Insurance Rate Cuts

Mon, 22 Apr 2019 16:27:00 -0500

State Farm will cut its auto rates in Oklahoma for the second year in a row. As a result, the overall personal auto rate will drop by 6 percent. Statewide, customers of the state's largest insurer will realize total savings of approximately $36 million.

The effective date for new and renewal business is May 27.

“State Farm is very pleased to be able to offer another auto rate decrease in State,” said State Farm Vice President Brian Maxwell. “Improving expenses and losses were important factors, among many, that supported our decision to make this rate change."

Overall changes in premiums for individual motorists will vary. Rates depend on a customer’s policy and chosen coverage. Customers can contact their local State Farm agent to discuss their individual situation. Additional opportunities for discounts may apply.

A rate decrease combined with discounts offers exceptional long-term value to State Farm customers.

‘I Will Never Be the Same’

Thu, 12 Jul 2018 16:02:26 -0500

There are moments in our lives that change us forever. One of Jennifer Sollars-Miller’s moments came on a sunny day in July 2003.

She and her family had gathered to celebrate a birthday with a pool party. Jennifer, a self-proclaimed helicopter mom, was nervous about keeping track of her 5-year-old autistic son during the party. Besides being autistic, he is legally blind and in need of constant attention. To ease her mind, she invited her sister to attend and help manage her son and 2-year-old daughter, Reagan.

During the poolside fun, Jennifer stepped away to take her son to the bathroom. She asked a family member to change Reagan’s clothes. The family member thought Reagan had followed Jennifer into the house. Everyone appeared to be safe and accounted for.

They weren’t.

Jennifer remembers the next few moments in a blur.

Reagan at the bottom of the pool, tucked into a fetal position. Chaos and screaming. Someone doing CPR. Her daughter’s eyes rolled back in her head. Blue lips, not breathing. Fearing the worst when Reagan didn’t respond. The blaring siren of the ambulance. A doctor at the hospital telling them Reagan was under water for 2 to 4 minutes and would likely have brain damage if she regained consciousness. Her tiny daughter lying in a hospital bed on life support.

“You can be right there and not know someone is drowning,” Jennifer says. “There’s a misunderstanding about drowning that you would hear something, and you don’t. They can’t scream; they’re gasping for breath.”

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 300 children drown in swimming pools every year. And for every child who drowns, another five receive emergency care for nonfatal submersion injuries.

Fortunately, Reagan was in the nonfatal category. She recovered and has some eyesight and hearing issues. But she has no memory of the near-drowning.

The experience changed Jennifer. “It was a mother’s worst nightmare,” she says. “Even now I can tell the story, but I don’t like to think about it.”

But she does. Jennifer chose to share her story with other parents so they would not have to experience the same horrible situation. She is a water safety champion, speaking to numerous groups about the Water Watcher program and being an active member of Safe Kids Coalition, supported by a grant from State Farm^®.

When sharing her story with a group, Jennifer struggles with the memories from that day. “I understand that I can’t keep my children safe in all situations. All I can do is my best. And my best consists of educating myself and others in regards to safety procedures, preventative measures and praying. Lots of praying,” Jennifer says.

The Water Watchers program advocates tags to be worn by the designated adult watching children in and around the pool or water. It also advocates other safety measures such as fences, alarms, life jackets and swim lessons.

“In my mind, the only way I can understand something unfathomable is to do something good with it,” she says. “I never thought it could happen to me. I learned the hard way it can happen and it only takes a few seconds.”

State Farm Auto Rate Cut to Save Oklahoma Customers $18.8 Million

Mon, 21 May 2018 09:49:00 -0500

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, the largest auto insurer in Oklahoma and in the nation, will cut its rates in that state. As a result, its overall auto rate will drop by three percent. The total state-wide savings for all State Farm customers affected by this rate change in Oklahoma will be approximately $18.8 million.

“The company’s financial strength is allowing us to pass along rate savings to our Oklahoma customers," said State Farm Senior Vice President Phillip Hawkins. “We continually evaluate how we can best serve our customers and are very pleased to be able to offer this rate decrease in Oklahoma.”

Overall changes in premiums for individual motorists will vary depending on the specific details of an individual customer’s policy and chosen coverages. The average Oklahoma customer savings will be approximately $23 per year. The effective date for new and renewal business is May 21, 2018. Oklahoma customers with questions can contact their local State Farm agent to discuss their individual situation.

In addition to this rate reduction, State Farm agents are able to review with new and existing customers the many opportunities for additional discounts that may apply to an individual’s unique circumstances. A rate decrease combined with discounts offers an exceptional long-term value to State Farm customers.

Let’s Read It Again!

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 14:09:00 -0600

Something was bothering Evelyn.

Her parents noticed the talkative six-year-old was unusually quiet and deep in thought. When they asked her what was wrong, she told them about a troubling experience at school that day.

During the scheduled reading period, one of her friends had struggled, slowly sounding out simple words and stumbling over simple phrases. Evelyn told her parents how embarrassed her friend was to not be able to read like the other students. Evelyn wondered out loud what she could do to help her friend become a better reader.

According to a study in early 2017 by the U.S. Department of Education, about 14 percent (32 million adults) of the population struggles with reading.

Evelyn is lucky. Both of her parents are educated and have worked in the teaching profession. As the small family began to discuss Evelyn’s friend, an idea began to form. Both parents had noticed Evelyn and her younger sister reading together.

Snuggled on the couch, Evelyn would often read a book and then instruct her sister to read it back to her. There was an undeniable bond and comfort level between the two sisters that made the experience special.

Evelyn’s parents approached Alan Neitzel, a family member and executive director of the ARC Foundation in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with an idea. The Read It Again program was born.

Here’s how it works: Read It Again libraries were established in several Oklahoma City high schools. The high school students are encouraged to take a book home and read it to their younger brother or sister. Once they finished reading the book, it’s the younger sibling’s turn to read the book to the older sibling. Hence, Read It Again!

The program provides a simple solution that establishes an early literacy-based foundation for the development of basic reading skills. This is accomplished through reading repetition and a level of comfort that only siblings can share.

An American Educational Research Association study showed a student who can't read at their grade level by 3rd grade is four times less likely to graduate by age 19 than a child who does read proficiently. Add poverty to the mix, and a student is 13 times less likely to graduate on time than his or her proficient, wealthier peer.

“We know that parents with low literacy skills are less likely to share books with their children,” said Neitzel. “When we can get siblings to read together, a foundation of reading and understanding is built and a comfort level with literacy can open many doors!”

Students without a sibling who wish to participate in Read It Again are also given the opportunity to be part of the program. They are partnered with a child from a local elementary school who is struggling and then, supervised by a teacher, begin the Read It Again process.

Neitzel says the results of the program have been outstanding. “Parents report the younger children who take part in the program are gaining more comprehensive reading skills, and becoming more confident. In addition, there is a better bond between their children.”

The Foundation won a State Farm Neighborhood Assist grant in 2016 to help support the Read It Again program.

Generation tXt Goes To The Capitol

Mon, 16 Oct 2017 08:26:49 -0500

In 2015, many Oklahomans shared a sigh of relief as legislation finally passed, outlawing texting while driving in the state. An unlikely group of teenagers, all too familiar with the consequences of distracted driving, celebrated after the long-fought battle.

With the help of a grant given by State Farm, the non-profit group Generation tXt was formed in 2008 by a group of Booker T. Washington High School students and parents in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The group was concerned about the negative consequences texting and driving was having on their friends and families.

The original teens involved in the program understood car crashes are the number-one cause of death among their peers, and their friends were 23 times at greater risk of crash due to texting while driving.

Carol Bush, the executive director of Generation tXt, was one of the parents who had a teen preparing to drive. “We thought it would be helpful to get a group of like-minded teens together who could really have an impact on their peers,” Bush said.

Generation tXt was born.

The diverse group of students developed their own identity. They prepared logos, banners, social media content, and talking points they used to share their message to other students: not to text while driving.

The program spread to additional schools in the Tulsa area and the teens began to share their message with community groups and driving schools. They were having a positive impact in Oklahoma and, as a result, many of their peers were putting down the phone.

Then something unusual happened. Generation tXt Coordinator Christy Blystone explains. “The teens in the group kept pushing to have a bigger impact. One day we were talking about the fact Oklahoma was one of only five states without a texting and driving ban.”

The teens took that fact a little hard and began planning their next mountain to climb – a trip to the Oklahoma Capitol to advocate for a new law.

The Generation tXt students, parents, and sponsors all piled into cars for the trip to Oklahoma City, a trip they would make many times over the years.

“We literally knocked on the doors of our senators and representatives, talking with anyone who would listen about the dangers of texting and driving,” said then-student Juliann Thomison. “We knew we had to be brief and convince them they could play a part in saving the lives of Oklahomans.”

For four years the students made the trip to the Capitol, pushing, pleading, prodding and hoping for success. And for four years, texting and driving legislation stalled out and died. Several of the Generation tXt students graduated, but there were always new students to take up the quest.

Finally in 2015, their consistent work and visits began to pay off.

State Representative Terry O’Donnell noticed the students in the Capitol and was impressed by the way they lobbied his fellow legislators. “The Governor challenged our legislature to send her a bill that would protect people by banning texting and driving,” O’Donnell said. “Bills have a way of dying off from lack of momentum but they (Generation tXt) would not let that die.”

Sensing victory in the air, a coalition of supporters, including Generation tXt, pushed hard and made sure Oklahoma House Bill 1965 gained enough traction to finally garner the votes needed.

The students were present in the gallery when the final vote was taken. A cheer went up as the gavel cracked and the bill was passed. Thanks to hard work and the commitment of Generation tXt, Oklahoma became the 46^th state to ban driver texting.

“Without their help and support, I don’t think we would have gotten it passed at all,” Representative O’Donnell confirmed.

Many would think this is the end of the story, but Generation tXt continues to teach and advocate for stronger laws, prepared to accept the next challenge to keep Oklahomans safe.

The Baby in the Night: A Mission for Mariam

Tue, 08 Nov 2016 00:00:00 -0600

On a warm night in an Iraqi city, a baby’s cry rings out. It’s the voice of Mariam, a two month old with a life threatening condition. The infection is getting worse. Help is needed. But time is running out.

Life for baby Mariam, is about to take a drastic turn.

The boy with the cape:

As a child, Jared Shoemaker of Tulsa, Oklahoma was known for helping others. Dubbed the “protector,” it was common to see the brown-eyed boy dressed as a superhero swooping in to save the day.

“Jared was strong, always lending a hand,” smiled his mother Linda. “In fact, when he learned a bully had been taking his younger brother’s lunch money, Jared chose to confront the culprit face to face."

All it took was one intense stare down from Jared, eye to eye with the bully...

The lunch money never wound up in the wrong pocket again.

A decision to serve

“As Jared got older, serving and protecting remained a top priority,” said his father Ken. A State Farm agent with a knack for helping others, Ken thought his son might follow in his footsteps.

“I wanted him to go into business, but Jared always wanted to be a Marine,” he smiled.

Jared joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2002, and in 2006 left for his first tour to Fallujah, Iraq.

“Our phone calls were scarce and when we did talk, Jared would tell us he was okay and things were fine,” Ken explained. “To be honest, he made it seem like an uneventful tour.”

Even his letters were basic. But between these lines of ink…a different story was unfolding.

Meeting Mariam:

While serving in Iraq, Jared and fellow service members encountered a frantic woman clutching a baby to her chest. It was clear, the child needed help.

Jared learned the baby named Mariam, had a rare medical condition where her bladder was growing on the outside of her body. Without medical care, she wouldn’t survive, but the decision to help was dangerous. With tensions high in Iraq, Jared and his platoon were frequently under enemy fire. So they created a plan to protect Mariam, her family and themselves.

Hope in the Night:

When the sun set, and the streets were clear, Jared and fellow Marines would visit the baby’s home in secret. But the troops knew these trips in the night were a temporary fix. Mariam needed more care.

Through a series of carefully coordinated efforts - plans were made to fly the baby girl to the United States for surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

A Precious Sacrifice:

That fall, Mariam’s life was saved. But Jared Shoemaker never knew that. Neither did his fellow Marines.

About a month prior to Mariam’s surgery, the men were on a routine patrol when they came in contact with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). The bomb went off with a blast so forceful, everything changed in an instant.

On September 4, 2006, Jared Shoemaker lost his life.

He was 29 years old. Two other Marines passed away that day. Only one survived.

The Protector’s Story: Revealed

Ken and Linda never knew their son had been working behind the scenes to save Mariam’s life, until one of Jared’s commanding officers visited their home.

“After Jared’s passing, he told us what had really been going on,” Linda explained. “It meant so much to hear this…it was very healing for me.”

“It shows our troops are there to make peace,” added her husband Ken. “You truly see the best of the best in these young men. They volunteer to serve and sacrifice. We owe them a lot.”

To this day, the Shoemakers have not met Mariam. A few weeks after her surgery, she and her family returned to Iraq. And yet, Mariam continues to hold a special place in the Shoemakers’ hearts.

Recently the Shoemakers attended a reunion with about 300 Marines, many of whom served with Jared. There, they learned one of the Marines would be heading back to the Middle East.

“He plans to put out some feelers - and see if he might be able to locate her,” smiled Ken.

The Shoemakers continue to pray for the child they never met. They pray for her safety, for her health and happiness.

And they hope one day, their paths will cross. “We would love it if we were able to meet her,” said Ken.

A Lasting Legacy:

In his short life, the boy with the cape, the ‘protector’ who loved superheroes…grew up to do more than save the day. Jared Shoemaker helped save lives.

Photo Credit Stephen Pingry/Tulsa World

“These men and women have a special call to duty, and should be honored,” said Ken. “Jared was there to help, and to protect the citizens of Iraq.”

And through his selfless acts of courage and kindness, Jared’s legacy will continue to live on in the hearts of those who knew...

This protector, turned hero.

State Farm® Introduces Transportation Network Company Driver Coverage in Additional States

Fri, 21 Oct 2016 14:55:00 -0500

Bloomington, Illinois (October 21, 2016) – State Farm is introducing a new coverage endorsement in several states to help fill insurance gaps for its policyholders who use their personal cars to provide rides for a Transportation Network Company (TNC), like Uber and Lyft. The TNC industry is rapidly changing the livery/taxi industry by using the latest mobile technology to facilitate rides for hire. With these new transportation services in the marketplace, drivers are exposed to new risks.

Insurance provided by TNCs may be limited in scope and coverage. Personal auto policies generally do not extend coverage to the use of personal cars as taxis or livery vehicles, including their use in TNC services.

To adapt to changing customer needs, beginning Monday, October 21, 2016, State Farm will offer a Transportation Network Company Driver Coverage endorsement in Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington and West Virginia.

The effective date for new and renewal for all states except GA: October 21, 2016. The effective date for new and renewal for GA: November 21, 2016

Ten jurisdictions obtained the endorsement earlier this year: Alabama, California, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Tennessee and Wisconsin .

"Adapting and innovating to our customers' changing needs is critical," said Vicki Harper, State Farm Public Affairs Specialist. "This new product is an example of our commitment to our customers and provides them coverage, and peace of mind, when they use their personal cars to provide TNC services."

TNCs may provide high liability coverage limits while a paying passenger occupies the driver's vehicle or when the driver has been connected with a passenger and is on the way to pick that person up. But TNCs tend to provide a much lower limit of liability coverage when drivers are just available for hire and may not provide the drivers with any medical payments, comprehensive, or collision coverages at all. The TNCs may not be providing coverage for injuries to the driver or coverage for any damage to the driver's personal car.

The new, optional State Farm TNC Driver Coverage endorsement enables a policyholder to have his/her personal auto policy fill in the coverage gaps left by TNC-provided insurance. This cost-effective endorsement provides the driver with the full liability coverage limits carried on his/her auto policy during the period of time when the driver is available for hire, and provides the driver with all other coverages applicable to his/her auto policy during all periods of TNC driving.

Customers in these states who drive for a TNC should contact their local State Farm agent to learn more about the new State Farm TNC Driver Coverage endorsement.

Building FORTIFIED Homes to Protect Those We Love

Tue, 30 Aug 2016 13:06:00 -0500

When Hurricane Katrina made landfall, Julie Shiyou-Woodard worried about her father. He did not evacuate the Mississippi coast. Like many others, he refused to believe the storm would travel so far north.

When she couldn't reach him, Julie loaded the car with supplies and headed south. When she arrived in Mississippi, she found the family home destroyed. Fortunately, her father was safe.

The next day, Shiyou-Woodard was deployed to New Orleans with a disaster medical assistance team. “I spent the next few months witnessing suffering and devastation I had only seen in movies,” she recalled.

“At the time, I was principal planner with a local planning commission. Part of my job was to find ways to strengthen our communities before disasters. I saw first-hand what we were doing was not working.”

Right after Hurricane Ivan in 2004, a group of Alabama and Mississippi Gulf Coast residents experienced the same frustration. They started looking for ways to avoid this damage in the future. Their efforts and passion helped form Smart Home America. The organization has since grown and now help groups throughout the country find solutions to strengthen their own communities.

In 2014, Shiyou-Woodard became the president and CEO of Smart Home. With her personal and professional experience, it was a role she embraced to grow the organization.

A perfect example is the Smart Home partnership with the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS). The FORTIFIED Home™ program strengthens homes from severe storms. Using these construction standards and methods goes beyond emergency preparedness and disaster preparedness. Knowing your home has been FORTIFIED against disaster provides peace of mind.

“When you build FORTIFIED and a hurricane hits, you are more likely to come home after evacuating and sleep in your own bed. You are able to start recovery much sooner,” Shiyou-Woodard explains.

FORTIFIED looks at a home as a system of systems, not individual components. The standards are applicable to both new and existing construction. A fortified evaluator directs the improvements, based on your specific circumstances. Steps involved might be:

installation of a secondary water barrier,
ring shank nails or spray foam to strengthen roof connections,
opening protection (shutters, panels or fabric) and
metal straps and bolts to connect the roof to walls and walls to the foundation.

The evaluator also certifies efforts for insurance discounts available to FORTIFIED homeowners.

Seeing the coastal success, Tulsa Partners in Oklahoma, has also embraced the program. The nonprofit is committed to creating a disaster resistant and sustainable community. It collaborated with Habitat for Humanity and State Farm to build FORTIFIED homes in the Tulsa area.

“We were very excited to partner with Habitat for a 24-hour FORTIFIED build in August this year,” said Partners Executive Director Tim Lovell. “The FORTIFIED Home Bronze Level addresses the roof system. Specifically, the upgrades reduce wind and water entering the attic through the roof covering and vents.”

Eleven years after Katrina, coastal Alabama is a model for stronger communities. Currently they lead the nation with more than 2,000 FORTIFIED designations. What’s the next mission for Smart Home America?

“We continue to educate about the importance of building better, being properly insured and how to build FORTIFIED,” said Shiyou-Woodard. “Our new Don’t Goof When You Re-Roof initiative and Insurance Shopper’s Guide will help homeowners make informed decisions and be better protected. Outside of Alabama and Mississippi, we’re drawing from our experience and supporting similar groups. Tulsa Partners are leading efforts in Oklahoma to promote IBHS’ newest program, FORTIFIED Home High Wind and Hail.”

Want to get FORTIFIED? The first step is the application. Upon receipt and processing, applicants are provided a list of IBHS Certified FORTIFIED Home™ Evaluators working in their area.

Cop with a Donut Shop

Tue, 12 May 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Everyone in Tulsa Knows Debra

The amazing smell washes over you when you open the door. You try to fight it, but your mouth can’t help but water as you scan the trays of glazed donuts, long johns, cinnamon rolls, fritters, and bear claws.

It’s not a fair fight.

The manager at the counter of Cherry Street Daylight Donuts smiles and greets everyone. And they smile back at her. Almost everyone in Tulsa, OK knows Debra Dickens Holmes.

Debra does tax preparation, teaches child passenger safety and defensive driving courses, and owns a donut shop.

Oh yeah, and she’s a cop. A cop with a donut shop.

“I know what everyone thinks,” Debra says as she laughs. “But for me, this is about developing relationships with people, celebrating birthdays with the kids, and being a part of a big, happy family.”

Public Servant and Public Service

A Tulsa Police Officer for 28 years, Debra’s well known around town. A member of the Safe Kids Coalition in Tulsa, Debra has installed thousands of car seats. One event she coordinates in a Tulsa minority community even includes a car seat giveaway combined with a massive Easter egg hunt.

Among numerous other activities, Debra also coordinates a statewide awards event for Oklahoma law enforcement efforts in traffic safety called the Buckledown Awards. State Farm supports many of these events and organizations through Good Neighbor Citizenship grants and local volunteers.

“When I was a new police officer, I realized very quickly I could enforce the law all day by writing tickets,” Debra says. “But I wanted to be involved in preventing those things from happening in the first place.”

And that’s how the donut shop happened.

A Cop Buys a Donut Shop

While spending her Saturdays teaching defensive driving courses, Debra would stop to buy donuts for her class.

She got to know the owners of the donut shop and was made aware of their plans to sell the business. “I fell in love with the people there and thought this would be a great way to make people happy.”

In the fall of 2014 Debra bought Cherry Street Daylight Donuts and began making Tulsans happy.

On any given day, her uncles, mother, son and other family members are greeting customers along with Debra, sharing some sugary sweet happiness.

“As my career as a policeman winds down, I wanted to continue to touch people in a positive way. The donut shop helps me connect with the community and impact people’s lives.”

Rebuilding Moore, OK - City Responds, Re-engineers and Rebuilds Following Devastating Tornadoes

Tue, 20 May 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Having grown up in Moore, Oklahoma, Stan Drake is a long-standing member of his community. He attended the local high school and now serves as the Assistant City Manager. Drake, like many Moore residents, is very passionate about the town and the people that comprise the place he calls home.

Sadly, his small town community has faced tornadoes of historic proportions – two of those storms among the strongest ever recorded. His city, home to beautiful neighborhoods and thriving economic development, has earned the unfortunate distinction as the frequent target of killer tornadoes.

“By 2013 we were beginning to ask some questions of each other,” said Terry Cavnar, State Farm Agent and Moore City Council Member. “We can no longer ignore this. We can’t say this isn’t going to happen again because it continues to happen. So, we began to look at the options.”

In the past 15 years, the city of Moore has fallen victim to tornadoes on three separate occasions. In 1999, an EF-5 tornado swept through the community causing $1.2 billion in damage, and taking 40 lives. In 2003, an EF-4 devastated the town. Most recently in 2013, Moore faced a second EF-5, killing 24 and causing $2 billion in damage.

After each storm, Drake and other city officials were left to wonder what – if anything – they could do to better prepare their community for these catastrophic storms. After the 2013 storm, they decided to take action.

A Time To Act

The search for answers led to the formation of a special committee made up of council members, builders and citizens to re-examine building codes and ensure all new construction was best equipped to deal with extreme weather.

The committee called on Chris Ramseyer, Associate Professor-Civil Engineering at the University of Oklahoma to help in the planning effort. Even before the 2013 storm, Ramseyer had been studying the performances of residential structures in high-wind events and was very familiar with the city’s plight.

“I was here the next morning,” Ramseyer said of his hours following the 2013 tornado. Amongst the utter devastation, Ramseyer found what he was looking for. “We had a house with a slab essentially wiped clean. It was EF5 damage,” he said. But just seventy feet away, a home stood largely intact. The two homes were too close to have provided for much difference in wind speed, Ramseyer concluded that the structure must have saved the second home.

The committee developed their plan of attack and agreed all future homes needed to be practical, affordable and repeatable on a large scale.

“Chris looked at it from both structural integrity and also cost. The impact it would have on the cost of residential construction,” said Drake. “And I think the homebuilders bought into that, and they had confidence in him.”

Building Better AND Stronger

The result was to refine the building technique, rather than adding new materials. The new approach called for a change in the basic house framing, pushing builders and contractors to expand upon their normal approach. Longtime Moore builder, Tom Pollard notes,“ it’s not even a big cost issue, it’s just an educational process.”

“The biggest difference is in the framing,” said Cavnar. “With some more tie-ins, especially between the walls and the roofing, strengthening in your openings, framed openings, windows and doors.”

In addition to the added protection, there was more good news: The cost.

“Our research shows that you can do it for a cost of roughly a dollar a square foot,” said Ramseyer.

Drake and the committee are enthusiastic about this new approach as a means to protect, preserve and prepare the homes of Moore.

“We were ecstatic,” said Terry Cavnar. “We could do something that would withstand an F3 tornado, 135 miles an hour, for a minimal amount of cost. We were thrilled.”

And while the success of these measures will ultimately be born out in the coming tornado seasons, for now this process stands out as a great example of what can be accomplished when a community works together.

“This has been one of the easiest code changes I’ve been involved in,” said Drake. “I didn’t think that would be the case when we started this process, but it was.”