(Screenshot from Google Maps)

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At about 6:30 last night, a brush fire ignited out in the desert near the southeastern end of the Salton Sea. Because of strong dry winds, it wasn't long before the flames traveled half a mile west, jumped Highway 111, and landed in Niland a small town with a patchwork of mobile homes and trailers surrounded by ready-to-burn brush.

There were calls to evacuate the entire town as 30 mph gusts made it difficult for firefighters to get a handle on the blaze. Reinforcements from Cal Fire in San Diego were called in to help the Imperial County firefighters.

One person was killed, an estimated 40 homes were destroyed, and 130 people were displaced, though the numbers are still being tallied.

A tragedy anywhere, but even more so in Niland, where an estimated 57 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

"I don't see it being rebuilt. For my family at least. Which is kind of pretty heavy for me to say," said Pastor Elijah Baaga, whose family members lost two homes in the fire. He lives in nearby Calipatria, but has deep ties to the Niland community.

He said his family has lived there since the 1920s, when his grandparents emigrated from the Philippines to work in the agricultural industry.

"My aunties and my uncles, they were part of the generation that lived there for a long time," Baaga said. "They were there when the economy was booming in Niland. There were banks and packing sheds, and agriculture was booming."

Now, it's a low income part of Imperial Valley with people struggling to get by.

"It's like pure trailers all throughout the city. A lot of the city has been deserted and people have left their homes. It's almost like a ghost town. It's pretty impoverished," Baaga said.

The impact to the town, he said, will put further strain on those living there. And he fears that the strong sense of community that he's always felt in Niland, will diminish if people fail to recover post-disaster.

For now, those who have been displaced are either staying with family and friends, like the Baagas, or in hotel rooms paid for by the Red Cross.

The long-term plan for recovery is unclear and will take some time to pan out.

According to Linsey Dale, public information officer with Imperial County, a local assistance center is being set up so that residents can meet with both government and nonprofit agencies that might be able to help them.

See the article here:
Estimated 40 Homes Burn As Brushfire Tears Through Small SoCal Town - LAist

An updated general plan presented at the special Murrieta City Council meeting Tuesday, June 16, could potentially bring thousands of homes and jobs to families in the area.

Senior planner Carl Stiebl and Brian F. Mooney, fellow of American Institute of Certified Planners, presented a general plan for the councils consideration.

The general plan and general plan environmental impact report were last updated in July 2011, as reported by presenting staff. This focused update included land use changes in certain areas with zoning changes, updates to specific general plan elements, a supplemental and final EIR, an updated Climate Action Plan and implementation of vehicle miles traveled.

The updates address new state legislation since 2011, economic development opportunities for the city, project streamlining and improving the overall quality of life for residents, as reported by staff.

The Base Project (also known as the draft project)

There are six planning areas where there are land use changes as part of the project. Areas 1, 2 and 3 are in the southern portion of the city, and Areas 4, 5 and 6 are located in the northern and eastern portions of the city.

Area 1

This area is located south of I-15 between Madison Avenue, Monroe Avenue, Guava Street and Elm Street. This area currently has the U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility, two churches and various residences. There is also a hotel currently in process in this area.

Proposed land use map for Area 1

A proposed land use map for area one includes a change to innovation, which works well, according to staff, in close proximity to the existing business park, commercial and just south of the transit-oriented development area to the north.

Area 2

For Area 2, the existing land use map is located on the east side of I-15 south of the freeway split to the city border of Temecula along Jackson Avenue. The existing land use designations include small areas of single-family residential, multi-family residential, commercial, as well as a large area of Office Research Park with office zoning, which is a more limited zone.

This area covers The Springs Healthcare Center, Temecula Valley RV and the Murrieta Palms Mobile Home Park.

Proposed land use map for Area 2

The majority here would change to innovation, according to staff, with open space along the city owned parcels and the Warm Springs Creek, with multi-family residential for the mobile home park and commercial for the one parcel down at the border of the city of Temecula.

Area 3

Area 3 is located along Murrieta Hot Springs Road, and this site is developed with a strip commercial center and buildings that include a bank, restaurants, stores and offices.

Proposed land use map for Area 3

This is a cleanup item to change to commercial and match the way this area has developed over time.

Area 4

This area is a large area in the northern part of the city along Whitewood Road and Clinton Keith Road. The area is developed with some industrial and storage-type uses, rural residential and large lot land use designated areas. The majority of this area, other than whats near the freeway is located within the Eastern Municipal Water District. The area that has ORP has an encompassed health facility and grading for future medical office development thats currently in process along the I-215.

Proposed land use map for Area 4

This area would significantly remove the existing ORP from the area, an innovation area south of Baxter Road on both sides of Whitewood Road, with adjacent workforce housing, both multi-family housing and single-family located in close proximity. It would also change the RCA owned parcels in the southern area to open space.

There are also two alternatives in the project that provide options for how the land use in this area can be changed.

Area 5

This section is a smaller area than the adjacent area four across the I-215. This area is located north of Linnel Lane and along McElwain Road, just north of the existing Target. Its currently completely designated ORP, it contains a few existing residences with very steep terrain to the west and north. A hotel was also recently approved in Area 5.

Proposed land use map for Area 5

This area would remove the ORP, replace it with innovation along the freeway, also add multi-family residential for worker housing at the intersection of Linnel Lane and McElwain Road and single-family residential at the parcels with the steepest terrain to the north and west.

Area 6

Located within the Murrieta Springs Specific Plan in the eastern part of the city, this section is east of the Los Alamos area. The parcels are undeveloped land that have been acquired by RCA for conservation. Locations are adjacent to the existing open space in the Murrieta Springs Plan.

Proposed land use map for Area 6

This section is a cleanup to the area to make all the parcels open space. This helps with conservation and open space goals, including those in the general plan, and an addition matching RCAs intended use for the properties. A subsequent amendment to clean up the Murrieta Springs Specific Plan is necessary and will be completed separately, according to staff.

Alternatives to the project

Alternatives to the project are considered in the draft EIR. In consideration of alternatives as part of this process provides options to adopt a project that achieves the overall goals.

The city may choose to adopt the draft project as presented, or an alternative or parts of alternatives, given that theyve been fully analyzed.

The alternatives primarily look at different potential considerations of land use designations in two areas.

Alternative 2

Alternative 2 offers a different arrangement of land uses in Area 4. It would further reduce the amount of proposed innovation in area four from the draft plan, with more multi-family residential instead.

It is primarily seen in the northern part of the area where the parcels that were proposed for innovation east of Whitewood Road and south of Baxter Road, except for the innovation area around the recently developed encompassed health facility along Whitewood Road.

The parcel at the southeast corner of Clinton Keith Road and Whitewood Road in this alternative also changes from single-family to multi-family. According to staff, this creates more of a corridor running north to south of multi-family along the east side of Whitewood Road, but still provides a large innovation area.

Staff reported that they received a number of comments during public review in support of this alternative. The planning commissions recommendation was to adopt this alternative based on their deliberations and the public comment.

Alternative 3

There are different arrangements for land uses in Area 2 and Area 4. Alternative 3 replaces the proposed innovation in Area 2 with commercial. In Area 4, this alternative replaces innovation southwest of Baxter Road and west of Whitewood Road with multi-family, creating more of an L-shaped, smaller innovation area.

This alternative also adds two small areas of commercial at the northeast and southeast corner of Clinton Keith Road and Whitewood Road. Comments were also received in support of the alternative from public review.

The council can choose between the draft land use map or these alternatives. Alternatives 2 and 3 then are changes to the base project.

The project also includes a water study. It also included public workshops and public review. Twenty-six comments were received during the time period for public review, in which many supported Alternative 2.

Some comments from staff came with concern about losing innovation to make room for more housing.

Before a motion was made, Mayor Gene Wunderlich gave one final comment.

I very much want to thank the city for an excellent job of updating this and providing a very comprehensive plan, Wunderlich said. The concept of innovation districts didnt even really exist the last time we did a general plan update, so this is all new, its spreading like wildfire across the country because it is so flexible and allows so many different uses.

The focus really is very friendly, integrated communities that incorporate a mix of housing and the office design and these and so forth with sufficient landscaping and hopefully an attraction for what we focus on here as a city, new business startups, business incubators as well as some well-known anchors in some of these tenant buildings, Wunderlich said.

A motion was made to adopt the recommendation by staff for the resolutions that were outlined in their report, for the first reading of the ordinance as outlined in staff recommendation, and that council adopts the map that is Alternative 2 with the addition of the multi-family in the corner at Baxter Road and Whitewood Road.

The motion made by Councilmember Kelly Seyarto included the innovation in Area 2, with concern for the direction that commercial property is going in.

The innovation area is able to capture a lot of what would normally be, maybe commercial, retail, Seyarto said. I think it provides the flexibility we needed for that particular parcel. Theres so much competition and dwindling demand for commercial, and I want to make sure that, at least in the next few years because I look forward to seeing how this plays out for our community, so for that area Im still fine with the innovation.

The motion passed unanimously.

To see the maps of each area, learn more about the Innovation Land Use, updates in state legislation affecting the general plan proposed project, or the agenda items of the June 16 meeting, visit http://onbase.murrietaca.gov/onbaseagendaonline and click on the 2 p.m. City Council Special Meeting link for June 16.

Lexington Howe can be reached by email at lhowe@reedermedia.com.

Excerpt from:
Murrieta continues to develop future plan for adding thousands of homes and jobs to the area - Valley News

The old drive-in movie theatre screen at the Kootenay River Mobile Home Park in Ootischenia is no more.

The screen blew down onto the Kootenay River RV Parks property during a massive windstorm last Saturday at around 6 p.m.

My co-worker was working in a neighbouring site at the time and she watched it fall, said Victoria Peebles of the RV Park. She said one big gust of wind suddenly came and knocked it all down onto the ground.

While three vehicles were damaged during the incident, Peebles said luckily no one was injured.

It couldve damaged mobile homes if it had fallen the opposite way.

Peebles said the the owner of the mobile home park had a safety inspection done on the sign a few years ago, which didnt show any immediate safety concerns.

RV Park staff have tried to contact the mobile home park owner to help clean up the mess.

While the downed screen has been cordoned off with tape, people are still allowed to enter the RV park to view it as long as theyre 18 or older.

The Sunset Drive-in theatre operated from 1969 to 1986 and had a capacity of about 500 cars.

Castlegar News has also reached out to the owner of the Kootenay River Mobile Home Park for comment.

READ MORE: Drive-in theatre proposed for Grand Forks

@connortrembleyconnor.trembley@castlegarnews.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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Drive-in movie theatre screen blown down in Ootischenia Arrow Lakes News - Arrow Lakes News

A severe thunderstorm warning for Winnipeg has endedas southern Manitoba endures yet another evening of serious weather.

Environment Canadaissued the warning just after 9 p.m on Tuesday and lifted it less than an hour later.A number of rural communities surrounding the city were also under warnings late into the evening.

The weather agency said meteorologists were tracking a line of severe thunderstorms that stretched from Lockport to Lake Manitoba that was moving northeast at 60 km/h.

Another line of storms prompted warnings in the Brandon area. Environment Canada said they were capable of producing rainfall in excess of 50 mm.

The line of severe weatherstretched from Gregg to Minnedosa to Wawanesa and was moving slowly northeastward, the agency said.

Much of southern Manitoba was placed under a watch earlier in the dayTuesday.

Up to the minute watches and warnings can be found on Environment Canada's website.

Meantime, Environment Canada has rated a tornado that touched down near Rapid City, Man., late Sunday afternoon as a preliminary low-end EF-2.

The weather agency said the twister, which touched down about five kilometres south of the town, which is located about 30 kilometres north of Brandon, had a maximum wind speed of 190 km/h.

The Enhanced Fujita Scale, or EF-Scale, is used by Environment Canada to measure the intensity of wind damage. It measures from an EF-0 as the weakest, to an EF-5 as the strongest.

The tornado destroyed two large sheds, snapped and uprooted hundreds of trees. It also left two barns with significant damage, flipped trailers and toppled grain bins.

Its path was 5.6 km and was about 200 metres wide, Environment Canada said.

Environment Canada said the same system dropped golf ball-sized hail, rainfall in excess of 150 mm, and a small area of downburst damage northwest of the tornado track, where a number of grain bins were toppled.

The storm also left a pair of mobile homes east of the community in ruins.

No one was injured or killed as a result of the storm.

The weather agency said it is actively seeking pictures of the tornado or damage it may have caused, and asks people call 1-800-239-0484, send an email to ec.storm.ec@canada.ca, or tweet to #mbstorm.

A series of thunderstorms left a swath of damage across southwest Manitoba on Sunday. Rising floodwater in its wake has led to even more damage across the region.

Severe thunderstorms associated with a low pressure system in North Dakota are pushing northwards into Canada on Tuesday evening, Environment Canada said.

The agency warned of large hail, torrential downpours and damaging wind gusts will be associated with the strongest of these thunderstorms. The threat of severe weather will begin to push eastward tonight as the low pressure system evolves.

The watch was issued for:

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Tornado near Rapid City, Man., had winds of 190 km/h as southern Manitoba endures more severe weather - CBC.ca

Residents of a largely immigrant Ooltewah mobile home park say they have been manipulated by property managers who threaten deportation and eviction to compel them to pay certain fees and sign questionable leases.

The property managers of Auburn Hills Mobile Home Park, Steven and Kim West, were arrested in late April and charged with hoarding more than $60,000 in donated supplies intended for park residents affected by a deadly EF3 tornado that tore through it late on Easter Sunday.

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office began investigating the Wests after receiving a complaint from a community member a week after the storms hit the park, killing 46-year-old Jose Arzate.

Deputies seized hundreds of relief items meant for the residents of the park ranging from 54 American Red Cross totes to diapers, masks, cases of bottled water and an unopened generator.

Many of the donations were stored in a trailer that had been screwed shut, according to the sheriff's office.

After being released on bond, Kim West was arrested again and charged with coercion after reportedly trying to force residents to sign a document stating that the Wests had provided them with aid after the storm and withholding access to hotel rooms provided by the Red Cross for residents who refused to comply.

The Tennessee Attorney General's Office has since joined the investigation to determine whether there has been a violation of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act, a law that protects consumers and businesses from unfair or deceptive business practices.

With the Wests under investigation, many residents said they have endured behavior from them ranging from unreasonable fines and deportation threats to intimidation and physical threats.

"They threaten you no matter what," Joel Trujillo, who has lived in the park with his wife and three children for 10 years, told the Times Free Press. "I mean, they just do it for no reason. And every time they threaten you, it's $25. Every time you get a letter, 25 bucks ... and we don't, I mean most of us don't, have anywhere we can go or anyone we can go to about this."

On multiple occasions the Times Free Press reached out to Kim West in person and via phone. No voice messages were returned and she declined to answer any questions in person, both before and after the arrests.

During the most recent attempt, reporters asked the Wests, who were outside of their Auburn Hills home and office, where many of the reportedly hoarded supplies had been stored, to respond to allegations made both to authorities and to the newspaper. Steven West did not respond, while Kim West directed reporters to a woman who represents the company that owns the park.

That woman said the Wests have done nothing wrong.

Since the storms hit three weeks ago, the Times Free Press has obtained rental documents and spoken to 15 current and former residents of the park who shared similar accounts of facing some sort of fine from the Wests and being threatened with eviction and or deportation if they did not pay.

The residents, most of whom did not want their names published due to their citizenship status and fears of retaliation, accuse the property managers of barring them from seeking help from law enforcement and even family to remove trees and clean up their lots after the storm.

Each source described a pattern of the landlords imposing fines ranging from $25-50 for seemingly menial property rule infractions to late payment charges on rent that was paid on time. Each charge was backed up by the threat of deportation or eviction made by the Wests.

Records provided to the Times Free Press by a former resident, who left the park in 2019, show several examples of late fees on rent that had already been paid, according to money order receipts. The documents detail one specific exchange in which the tenant was made aware of two late fees for August rent one incurred on Aug. 6 and the other incurred on Sept. 6 for the first time in October, and then an additional late fee was imposed before the Oct. 6 deadline.

The resident, who then allegedly owed $75 in late fees, wrote to the office explaining that rent had been paid on time for each August, September and October, including evidence of the money orders with which the payments were made, but ultimately was forced to pay the $75 by the Wests under threat of eviction, according to documents provided.

"Believe it or not, I'm glad this thing is going the way it's going because these people, the way they treat us and I say everybody it's not right for them to be charging for no reason," Trujillo said of the tornado and subsequent investigations. "There's a few guys that call and text and say, 'Man, I really don't want to say much because I don't know if we can move or I don't know if we can afford to move away.'"

As the Wests came under scrutiny by law enforcement and outside community members witnessing the alleged hoarding, many of the other accusations came to light.

Attorney C. Mark Warren got involved after being told by some residents and tornado relief volunteers that the Wests were allegedly "attempting to use deportation as blackmail for them paying rent on trailers that had been destroyed or inhabitable."

"That's really what got me involved in the first place, was they were attempting to use the threat of deportation to get them to pay rent, even though their trailers were totally destroyed," he said.

Over the course of his involvement, Warren was told that the Wests were allegedly attempting to charge double rent if a family's mobile home was destroyed and they moved in with another family. They also reportedly did not allow anyone, including firefighters, to go onto the property to assist with the cleanup.

Another question that arose was whether the residents were paying for insurance, which residents were charged for even though it was supposed to be obtained by the lessees, according a lease provided by a former tenant. Of the residents interviewed, no one has seen any documentation from or representatives of an insurance company either before or after the storm. Additionally, no resident knew which company was allegedly carrying insurance for their homes.

A representative of the property? refused to tell the Times Free Press what company the park uses for insurance but said that insurance agents have been "all over" the property since the day after the storm.

Meanwhile, Warren, who is now representing a tenant who has left the property since the storm hit, said he is seeking more information on insurance and other dealings of the property management.

"[The residents] are very reluctant to meet and talk, just because of the fear of retaliation," Warren said. "Our first meeting, which was several days after the tornado, when they got back to Auburn Hills, they were confronted by the Wests as far as, you know, who was there, what was talked about, making accusations that they shouldn't have been meeting with anybody about what was going on at Auburn Hills."

The representative of park owner Auburn Most LLC, a Michigan company that bought Auburn Hills in 2015, declined to share her name or title, but told the Times Free Press that she had been on the property since the week after the storm hit, and that any accusations by the residents were "complete and total lies."

"It's disgusting. [The Wests] would give any of these people the shirts off of their backs," she said. "It's twisted. I don't know how these people sleep. Satan's got a hold of these people."

The representative told reporters she would not give any details about the parent company or the Wests' employment but that they "haven't done a damn thing wrong."

She said that, despite residents claiming Kim West had demanded they sign a document absolving her in the hoarding accusation under the threat of eviction, West only had asked them and never coerced anyone to sign any document.

As for law enforcement, Trujillo said the sheriff's office has been sympathetic toward residents and has reassured them that they were not investigating their citizenship status, telling residents "we're not after you." Rather, the investigation was focused on the Wests' alleged actions.

Contact Rosana Hughes at rhughes@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327 with tips or story ideas. Follow her on Twitter @Hughes Rosana.

Contact Sarah Grace Taylor at staylor@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6416. Follow her on Twitter @_sarahgtaylor.

The rest is here:
Tenants of Hamilton County mobile home park say they were threatened with deportation, eviction by landlords - Chattanooga Times Free Press

Photo: David Kadlubowski/The Republic/azc Deadly heat wave: In 2005, 20 deaths were attributed to a July heat wave. Temperatures weren't record-setting, but highs consistently topped 110 degrees and lows didn't dip below the 90s. Heat advisories and excessive-heat warnings lasted for more than a week. Many of the victims were homeless but the dead also included a 37-year-old man found in his vehicle, a 66-year-old man found outside his home and three elderly women found inside their homes. A 97-year-old Mesa man died inside his home, where the temperature had reached 110 degrees. His wife, who was also in the home, survived.

Summer is coming. The coronavirus is staying. One-hundred-degree temperatures are already here. Before it gets hotter, we need a plan to help people self-isolating in homes they cannot keep cool.

In 2017, a record 264 heat-related deaths occurred in Arizona. If we act swiftly, we can stop the coronavirus from breaking the record.

We are heat and housing researchers from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University sounding the alarm. In the coming weeks and months, we see catastrophe ahead for too many Arizonans for whom the coronavirus will make it nearly impossible to escape the heat.

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

Most households take for granted their ability to beat the heat by simply staying inside. But, for many staying home does not necessarily mean cooling off especially for those with little or no control over the inside temperature of homes.

These are people struggling to pay utility bills, with little insulation or without air conditioning. In normal times, they would have places to escape to malls, librariesand restaurants. These are no longeroptions. Even some public cooling centers are grappling with whether and how to open.

In Arizona and across the country, there are stark inequalities in household capacity to adapt to extreme heat, and COVID-19 will expose and compound these disparities. The impacts of this wicked mixture of insecure housing, pandemic disease and extreme heat will be experienced differently according to income, age, race, and something that is often overlooked housing type.

Even as the state re-opens, vulnerable people will still need to stay home, and Social distancing will be with us through the summer, according to the White House. For hundreds of thousands of Arizonans, staying home will mean staying in a home built in a factory, commonly referred to as a manufactured or mobile home.

Despite the persistence of worn-out stigmas and stereotypes about trailer parks,manufactured housing is a good-quality, energy-efficient and essential source of affordable housing in our state. For many it offers a high quality of life at low cost that allows residents to raise their families and age in place in social and supportive environments.

Nevertheless, our research suggests that in Arizona, and in most sunbelt states, the mixture of heat, housing and the coronavirus is likely to be particularly challenging for those communities, where multiple risk factors converge.

These factors intersect most hazardously in the one-third of units in Maricopa and Pima counties built before national building standards were enacted in 1976, with meager insulation and dangerous wiring. These homes are often substandard and prohibitively expensive to cool.

This is particularly true in manufactured home parks where shade is scarce but concrete and asphalt are abundant. These materials absorb heat and slowly release it in the evening, elevating temperatures through the night.Even with air-conditioning, residents struggle to lower temperatures below 90 degrees.

Consider Tanya, a stroke survivor, whose home we measured last summer at 111 degrees, or 97-year-old Albert, whose broken swamp cooler leaked through the ceiling where he sat in front of two fans.

What do you do when it is dangerously hot in your house, even hotter outside, and there is nowhere to go? The coronavirus has limited the options for people like Tanya and Albert, and finding safe ways to provide thermal relief is a matter of life and death.

Manufactured home residents are already over-represented among indoor heat-related deaths. In Maricopa County, 4.9%of housing units are manufactured homes, but they are the scene for 27.5%of indoor heat-associated deaths. Similar patterns likely exist in Pima County, where heat-morbidity data is less available, but climate conditions are similar, the population is poorer, and the proportion of manufactured housing is twice as high.

Many residents of thermally compromised homes are heat-sensitive seniors at highest risk of severe illness from both the coronavirus and heat exposure.

While only 15.7%of Phoenix residents are 65 or older, they make up 59%of those who died indoors from heat-related causes, and head half of all manufactured home households. They also account for more than three-quarters of coronavirus deaths in the state. The people who most need the protection of their homesare the ones most likely to die inside them.

Of the residents we spoke to in Tucson, 40%struggle to make housing-related payments.Keeping the AC running may offer respite from the heat, but not from collection agencies. In Arizona, where utility bills are already 6%higher than the national average, a home-bound summer will drive up energy-costs further.

Even before millions lost their jobs and were told to stay home a sixth of our interviewees were spending at least 60%of their income on housing-related expenses.

The picture is grim, but there is much that can be done and reason to hope.

We all need to pick up the telephoneand take advantage of other technologies to get in touch with family, friends, and neighbors. Too many of the tragic stories of Arizonans who die from heat involve individuals living alone.

More than ever before, this summer it will be worth the extra effort to reach out to those with whom we have grown distant. Their life might depend on it.

Long after the coronavirus is gone, the extreme heat experienced by the marginally housed this summer will persist heat waves will get longer, nighttime temperatures will rise, and we will live more of our lives above 100 degrees.

By addressing immediate cooling needs through shade, solar and insulation, we can create lasting solutions to the sustainability challenges of manufactured housing. Let us tackle this crisis by investing in solutions that will yield environmental, social and economic dividends for years to come.

Mark Kear andMargaret Wilder workat the University of Arizona.Patricia Sols, David Hondula, and Mark Bernstein work at Arizona State University.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Self-isolating from COVID-19 in a mobile home? That could be deadly in Arizona

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Self-isolating from COVID-19 in a mobile home? That could be deadly in Arizona - msnNOW

About 80 percent of all tornadoes in the United States are rated as EF-0 or EF-1, with peak wind gusts below 110 mph. Any tornado has the potential to cause property damage, but wind gusts rated EF-0 or EF-1 are quite survivable if you can ride it out in a well-constructed building.

Mobile homes are not well-constructed when it comes to surviving a tornado. Scientific studies show a wind of 87 mph can move a trailer off its blocks. Wind at 98 mph can rip the roof off a mobile home, leaving people inside more than a little vulnerable. A regular house would likely come through the same storm with relatively minor damage.

The rarer, more violent tornadoes can inflict heavy damage on any house, of course, but your odds are still pretty good at survival if you get below ground level in a well-built home. The secret is to talk about a plan to get there in a hurry. Have you talked about your tornado plan?

Read more from the original source:
Weather Talk: Most homes will withstand most tornadoes - The Dickinson Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio While dentists, veterinarians and elective healthcare procedures are now permitted to resume operations, many other businesses have been ordered to remain closed until further notice as Ohio continues its battle with coronavirus.

In point #13 within Gov. Mike DeWine's extended stay-at-home order -- which is now in effect through May 29 -- he outlined the following list of business closures that will remain in place until further notice...

Schools: The Second Amended Director of Health Order signed April 29, 2020, or as it may be subsequently amended, that closed all K-12 schools in the State remains in effect.

Restaurants and bars: The Director of Health Order signed March 15, 2020, or as it may be subsequently amended, that closed restaurants and bars to all but carry-out and delivery activities in the State remains in effect.

RELATED: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine forming group to guide restaurant, barbershop and salon reopenings

Personal appearance / beauty: The Director of Health order signed March 19, 2020, or as it may be subsequently amended, that closed hair salons, day spas, nail salons, barbershops, tattoo parlors, body piercing locations, tanning facilities, massage therapy locations and like businesses in the State remains in effect.

Adult day support or vocational habilitation services in a congregate setting: The Amended Director of Health Order signed March 21, 2020, or as it may be subsequently amended, that prohibited adult day support or vocational habilitation services in a congregate setting in the State remains in effect.

Older adult day care services and senior center: The Director of Health Order signed March 24, 2020, or as it may be subsequently amended, that prohibited older adult day care services and closed senior centers in the State remains in effect.

Child care services: The Director of Health Order signed March 24, 2020, or as it may be subsequently amended, that prohibited child care services, except for facilities with a temporary pandemic child care license, in the State remains in effect.

Entertainment / recreation / gymnasiums:

- The Director of Health Order signed March 21, 2020, or as it may be subsequently amended, that closed all indoor family entertainment businesses and venues such as laser tag facilities, roller skating rinks, ice skating rinks, arcades and indoor miniature golf facilities, as well as, adult and child skill or change game facilities in the State remains in effect.

- The Amended Director of Health Order signed March 17, 2020, or as it may be subsequently amended, that closed auditoriums, stadiums, arenas, parades, fairs, festivals, bowling alleys, health clubs, fitness centers, workout facilities, gyms, yoga studios, indoor trampoline parks, indoor water parks, movie and other theaters (excluding drive-in theaters), performance theaters, all public recreation centers, and indoor sports facilities in the State remains in effect.

- All places of public amusement, whether indoors or outdoors, including, but not limited to, locations with amusement rides, carnivals, amusement parks, water parks, aquariums, zoos, museums, arcades, fairs, children's play centers, playgrounds, funplexes, theme parks, bowling alleys, concert and music halls, and country clubs or social clubs shall be closed.

RELATED: Cedar Point extends 2020 season passes through 2021 amid coronavirus

- Recreational sports tournaments, organized recreational sports leagues, residential and day camps shall be prohibited.

- Swimming pools, whether public or private, shall be closed, unless it is a swimming pool for a single household.

- Campgrounds, including recreational camps and recreational vehicle (RV) parks, shall be closed, except that persons residing in recreational vehicles ("RVs") at campgrounds who genuinely have no other viable place of residence may remain in the campground. This campground closure also excludes cabins, mobile homes, or other self-contained units, meant for single families and where preexisting full season agreements already have been established. An example would be individuals who have part-time pre-established seasonal sites at campgrounds for residential activity. Such persons should comply with all applicable guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Ohio Department of Health regarding social distancing.

You can read the state's extended stay-at-home order in full below:

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List: These are the businesses that must remain closed in Ohio's extended stay-at-home order - WKYC.com

Its not exactly what Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, but campers this season of COVID-19 sheltering would indeed say there is no place like home away from home.

RV and tent campers are hitting the hills of Green Country lakes at campgrounds that are happy to have company after out-of-state travelers canceled their bookings due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Some of the campers are pretty determined, too.

Its just that people want to get out of the house, said Jim Hassel, owner of Stoney Ridge Campground near Skiatook Lake. After the rain Wednesday, my tent camping area was sopping wet. I met some tent campers who really wanted to stay anyway, and we walked around and looked for quite a while. They finally gave up and said theyd come another time.

The campground was busy over the winter with construction crews who were shut down, then he had cancellations from out-of-state travelers, but local bookings materialized to fill the slots, Hassel said.

Now, were getting a lot of people that just want out of the house, and they figure camping is a good way to get social distance, he said.

He has a lot of campers from nearby Tulsa and Claremore both only a 30-minute drive away.

Down the road at Salt Creek Marina on Keystone Lake, owner Tim Adams said Tuesday before storms rolled in the lake finally had dropped to normal and people lined up for camping spots and lined up in rows for the boat ramp, even though they knew the fishing wasnt great yet, he said.

It was almost feeling like a holiday weekend crowd, he said. People are just wanting to get out. We have a good forecast ahead so Im sure its going to get busy again.

He has a waiting list of 25 people for his campground spaces.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds remain closed at Oklahoma lakes, and that means more business for private campgrounds, too, Hassel said.

I guess we lost out in one way and were blessed in another, he said.

Tulsa District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports that it is coordinating park and campground openings with the Southwestern Division Office in Dallas.

Preliminary plans show a phased opening approach in the Tulsa District, said district spokesman Preston Chasteen. The one thing wed like everyone to remember is, our primary goal in reopening our parks will be the safety of our employees, contractors and members of the visiting public.

Once plans are firm and dates are established, the Corps will notify the public through social media and local news outlets, he said.

Oklahomas state parks and campgrounds remain open, and they are busy.

For some campgrounds, the early bump to the camping season is an especially welcome blessing after storms and floods last season.

Jess and Harriet Campbell at Lakewood Village Mobile Home and RV Park on Grand Lake said even their permanent residents have returned early.

After all the storms last year, we had some residents come early this season just to check on their places and then their cities shut them down and they just decided to stay, Jess Campbell said.

With the storms and floods, they lost 120 trees and docks, and they lost infrastructure for mobile homes, as well as RVs.

Weve got the park coming back, and the grass is growing and the trees are green, he said. We have all but three of the permanent homes completely back, we are putting in two more RV spots, we start work on a new dock on Monday, and the crappie are coming in too, so its all exciting, he said. This weekend, were down to where we only have three or four spots left.

People are trying to get out of town, and with our place opening up, it makes us happy to see them coming and makes us excited for a good summer ahead.

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Altered lives: See how these Tulsans are adjusting their lives and businesses during the coronavirus pandemic

Kerry Page, the mother of a high school senior, got emotional last weekend. It wasnt because of what her son lost. It was because of what he was given a barn prom for two.

Kerrys son, Dakota Page, is a senior at Sequoyah High School in Claremore. Dakota left school March 13 with the intent of enjoying spring break and returning to school a week later to wrap up the final chapter the best chapter of his senior year.

But seniors everywhere were robbed of once-in-a-lifetime moments by the COVID-19 pandemic. Their final sporting events were canceled. Their proms were scrapped. They may not get to wear caps and gowns in front of friends and family members at a commencement ceremony.

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For Dennis England, the human touch is an important part of the work he does.

Im a hugger by nature, and Ive always believe that some kind of physical connection is therapeutic in some way, said England, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist who has been in private practice for the past decade.

Whether its just shaking hands, giving someone a pat on the shoulder, or big old bear hug, depending on the individuals comfort level, that physical touch is a valuable part of the bonding and communication that you need to have with the people youre working with, England said. Its part of the trust that has to develop between a client and a therapist.

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Bill LaFortune still gets up every morning and gets ready for work. But he doesnt dress up quite like he would normally, and, like most people these days, he doesnt leave the house much.

Theres no donning of robes, either.

I am able to do a tremendous amount of work here at the house with my Chromebook (computer), so its been a real life-saver and a game-changer, said Tulsa Countys presiding district judge. And I think for all the judges, as they all get them, it is really going to allow us to keep cases moving as best we can while court is closed.

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Becoming an entrepreneur at age 27 is no small feat.

Opening your first food truck amid shelter-in-place orders for the general public is something exponentially more challenging.

But Megan Brister couldnt be deterred by a global pandemic.

I thought about it but didnt put too much thought into it because Ive been working toward this for so long, said Brister, who opened the Taco Taco truck on March 21 at 8101 S. Harvard Ave.

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The Tulsa Zoo is closed because of the coronavirus, but life goes on for the 3,000 animals and the zookeepers who tend to their daily needs.

Were here 365 or 366 days a year, giving care to the animals, said Joe Barkowksi, zoo vice president for animal conservation and science.

Were kind of a 24/7 operations, so this isnt really a lot different for us," he said, "except that we dont get to enjoy the guests out here."

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For real estate agents Josh Rainwater and Kim Vining, 2020 started out to be a record-breaking year. In the first two and a half months of this year, the duo had sold more than double the number of homes as they at this time in 2019.

Then came the restrictions over concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, with government officials urging citizens to practice social distancing and limiting the size of any public gathering to no more than 10 people.

Such restraints might seem a sure way to turn a winning streak into a losing proposition. Yet, for Rainwater and Vining, agents with Coldwell Banker Tulsa, the past few weeks have been almost business as usual.

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Oklahomas kids are going to get back to the business of school on Monday from the confines of home.

But what will distance learning look like for a 4-year-old? How will third-graders stay on track in reading through the end of their milestone year? How will a middle- or high-schooler finish a band credit all alone?

We went right to the sources local teachers to find out how theyre going to make learning possible when it might seem impossible.

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In a pre-coronavirus world, it would be every pastors worst nightmare preaching to an empty auditorium because no one showed up for Easter services.

But thats exactly what the Rev. Bill Scheer, pastor of Guts Church, and many other Tulsa pastors will do Sunday, Easter morning, as Americans shelter in their homes to slow the coronavirus pandemic.

And Scheer is upbeat about the situation.

Theres a lot of negatives about this, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. They really do, he said.

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Jaime Espalin gives his members personalized coaching every time they enter Fenix Strength and Conditioning, which he co-owns with his wife, Maria.

Espalin is continuing to provide them instruction even while gym facilities are shut down due to COVID-19. With the help of PushPress Gym software, Fenixs members can still receive Espalins coaching while they work out at home.

Im invading peoples homes digitally because I cant be there to coach them personally, Espalin said. I have an app. When people pay and get a membership they get access to our workouts, every day, its very interactive.

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There are no two ways around it hauling trash is a tough, dirty job.

And in the age of COVID-19, its potentially dangerous.

Doug Kackowski doesnt worry much about that. This garbage truck driver just does his job.

I think Im a little old school in my thought process, said Kackowski, 54. Im kind of like, your body will get used to it. I wouldnt let it affect me until it happens, you know, cause until then, its a useless worry.

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Jason Montroy was a regular visitor to the gym. Now that its closed, the personal trainer and Oklahoma Union coach created Montroy G & G (garage and gym) at his house. He works daily with his 9-year-old son Chase, a youth wrestler and football player.

During a hot Thursday in Collinsville, the pair did leg work on the driveway and in the garage.

He wants to work out, Montroy said. Its really cool for him to have that desire to want to do it and be shown the right way and the right form.

An added benefit is an unexpected opportunity for father-son bonding time.

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Spring break usually brings popular movies to theaters for families with children out of school, and that can mean a week of catching up for the year financially for an independent theater owner like Mike Mendenhall at Eton Square Cinema.

This years COVID-19 spring break instead saw those hit movies postponed and Mendenhall closing his theater at 8421 E 61st St. for the immediate future, laying off 15 employees to go sign up for unemployment.

Were just shut down. Its not like theres any curbside service we can offer, he said.

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As Oklahoma public schools adopt distance learning models to both continue to educate students and protect against COVID-19, the word distance hits hard.

Teachers like Akela Leach miss their kids fiercely.

One moment you are with these kids every single day and you become like a caretaker away from home, said Leach, a fifth grade teacher at Tulsas Lanier Elementary, and then youre just separated.

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Coronavirus restrictions make this an awkward time for someone in a leadership position to change agencies.

After nearly 13 years as executive director of The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges, Lori Long had to order its doors closed for what would have been her last day at work Wednesday.

On Monday, she will start as executive director of the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, unable to meet with her new staff, who are in the middle of a growing emergency situation because of the pandemic with so many people out of work and with kids out of school.

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Donnie Rich was among those who helped save, and restore, the Outsiders House.

Now hes trying to save his business.

The Venue Shrine, a live music venue at 112 E. 18th St., is in financial danger due to circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The music industry artists and venues have been impacted by a stoppage of live music gatherings.

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Adrian King told Guerin Emig early Thursday he will comply with the order to close his barber shop.

"After having some time to think things over I have decided to follow (the) 21-day shutdown order as it is the responsible and safe thing to do," King said in a text message. "In our second talk (Wednesday) I was talking from pure frustration from all that has happened in such a short time."

King closed his text with "Stay safe."

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During stressful times, Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers Neighborhood would share this message: Look for the helpers. Were finding them, and w

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No place like home, away from home: Campgrounds swell with COVID-19 closure escapees this season - Tulsa World

The idea of being able to pack up your house and take it with you whenever you decide to move to another place or even another country is a very appealing one. The same goes for the promise of all creature comforts (and even some luxury), in a space considerably smaller than what were (probably) used to in our current, brick-and-mortar homes and apartments.

Add to this the promise of a more sustainable, more efficient, less costly and more in touch with nature lifestyle, and you can see why a certain segment of the population is drawn to mobile homes. Base Cabin, from Australian maker of the same name, hopes to capitalize on this trend, with a new custom micro home on wheels.

The Base Cabin is the creation of British architect Ben Edwards of Studio Edwards and, while it bears a certain resemblance to the Sandcrawler from Star Wars, its supposedly directly influenced by the exterior of Airstream trailer and the geometry of the iconic A-frame cabin. TheBase Cabin aims to deliver minimalist living with a small footprint, enhanced connection to Mother Nature and some of the comforts of a larger home.

The Base Cabins resemblance to the A-frame cabin is more readily apparent: by using asymmetry, this micro home remains easily transportable but without compromising on interior space. By choosing differently-sized angular shapes, Edwards also ensures a clear avoidance of the boxy design of most trailers and micro / tiny / mobile homes.

The design also makes sense from an efficiency perspective. The A-frame uses less material than conventional portal framed buildings, he says. This was an important consideration in regards to the overall mass of the building it had to be transportable.The Base Cabin is divided into three main living areas, with plenty of space for each. Total interior space is over 160 square feet (14.8 square meters): theres a sleeping area with a large-size bed, a bathroom in the center of the unit next to a cooking area, and a relaxation space.

There are large windows on all sides, including a skylight above the bed and another one in the bathroom. Doors are also made of glass panels, so the space is always bathed in natural light, which enhances the feeling of one with nature that comes with a mobile home. Meanwhile, the sloped walls create a sense of intimacy.

By emphasizing the fact that a micro, mobile home allows you to go off the grid and back into Mother Natures loving arms, and the use of alternative building materials, there is strong indication that the Base Cabin is built with a focus on sustainability. This, if accurate, would be great and add to the appeal of this quirky-shaped house on wheels.

However, there is no mention of energy consumption needed to run this house, towing capacity of the parent vehicle, or any other type of resource needed to live like in an actual home. The availability of so little storage space could also indicate that this is more of a vehicle for short-term adventures than an actual micro home fit for long-term living on or off the grid.

Pricing for the Base Cabin starts at AUD $99,000 (USD $65,000) and the makers say theyre open to all queries. They also emphasize that, Whilst the cabins we build are small in size, we seek out the best finishes to incorporate them into our spaces. We believe in quality over quantity. For what its worth.

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Base Cabin Is the Eco-Friendly Micro Home You Can Take With You Everywhere - autoevolution