Contrary to the common focus of too many weather reports, MHProNews has leaned that no one in a pre-HUD Code mobile home or a modern manufactured home died as the result of the May 20 and May 31st EF5 storms in Oklahoma. While thousands of conventional homes were leveled or badly damaged, and with some 43 combined dead from those two devastating events, Deanna Fields, Executive Director of the Manufactured Housing Association of Oklahoma (MHAO) said: “No one has been killed in a manufactured/mobile home so far.” An EF4 tornado hit Steelman Estates near Shawnee, OK on May 19th that devastated homes there much the same as conventional homes were leveled the next day in Moore. About the deaths among Steelman manufactured home community’s residents, Fields said: “The two deaths in Steelman included one elderly resident—who kept to himself—who was outside his home and received blunt force trauma to his body, and the other older gentleman was in his vehicle.” Fields told MHProNews that a YES! Community was struck by the May 31st storm, and while homes were damaged, none were destroyed. 3 manufactured home retailers near El Reno suffered no lost homes. Suzanne Felber said Golden Rule MHC was in the middle of the storm, but she also confirmed there were no total losses. “Huge trees ripped apart, almost every powerline (was) down among them, and when you look at some of the homes it looks like someone was using them for target practice,” as a result of flying debris. Yes! Communities has sent teams from three states to help residents with the post-storm clean-up and recovery. The YES! Communities all had shelters for their residents. The photo shown is from a conventional housing neighborhood in Moore, OK hit by the May 20th storm. To see a video of a manufactured home that survived a tornado and was then subjected to a C-130 Hercules military aircraft’s prop wash, click this link here.

(Photo credit: youtube—hollywood2nyisback–Moore, OK following the tornado))