The Weather Notebook: Losing Your Identity After A Tornado

Losing Your Identity After A Tornado
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Dave Thurlow, Host

Survivors of the tornado outbreak that hit Oklahoma and Kansas in early May not only lost their homes and cars, but also their identity. Hi, I'm Dave Thurlow and this is The Weather Notebook.

A tornado destroyed everything except the innermost bathroom. - Tulsa, OklahomaNOAA Photo Collection

For most victims, the twisters swept away their birth certificates, driver's licenses, titles to homes and other documents. Now, they find themselves having to prove they are who they say they are.

In Midwest City, OK for example, residents are asked to point on a map to where their homes used to be to prove they are a homeowner. Then the city checks the utility records to see if the name and address matches what the people are giving them.

To get new driver's licenses, people have been offering everything from fishing licenses to American Association of Retired Persons membership cards to prove their identity to the Oklahoma Department of Safety. One man even used his criminal booking record with his name and address on it. (In case you're wondering, he received his driver's license.)

And to guard against fraud, everyone is asked to give a thumbprint, which scares off most criminals. Also, officials call up driving histories and ask applicants about speeding tickets, maiden names or how long they have been driving.

So the lesson to be learned from all this is that if you live in Tornado Alley, you should keep all of your important documents in a safe deposit box at the bank or in a storm shelter.

Weather Notebook music is composed and performed by Georg Brandl. Thanks to Subaru, the beauty of all wheel drive and the National Science Foundation.