Bank Vault Saves 22 People from Moore Oklahoma Tornado

Bank Vault Saves 22 People from Moore Oklahoma Tornado

Bank Vault Saves 22 People from Moore Oklahoma Tornado

Residing in “Tornado Alley” my whole life, I have seen my share of high, twisty winds, hail, black skies and rain, as the weather alarms on the TV sounded, urging my family to take shelter. As a little girl, I would grab my duffel bag filled with my most prized possessions, my favorite stuffed animals, as well as a change of clothes, a pillow and a blanket, and my family would head to our neighbor’s tornado shelter to “ride out” the storm. I can for sure sympathize with the residents of Moore, Oklahoma.

Before devastation struck the town of Moore, located south of Oklahoma City, employees of Tinker Federal Credit Union received the news: a tornado was, in fact, on its way.

The 14 quick-thinking, credit union employees alerted everyone inside the facility that sirens were about to go off, but that a tornado was still a good distance away. This allowed everyone, the employees and 8 credit union members, who were doing business inside the financial institution, to take cover.

Squeezing into the vault and shutting the door at the very last minute, so people didn’t have to be inside any longer than was necessary, people began to pray out loud as the whole vault rocked back and forth, and the people inside could hear the devastation occurring on the outside.

Jan Davis, an employee of the credit union, said, “It was crowded, but if there were more people, we would have crowded them right in.”

All 22 people inside the bank vault survived without any injuries.

Oh, and because we are your security resource, according to Tinker Federal Credit Union’s Facebook page, “The computer systems we use in our branches simply pass data back and forth to our main systems which is not located in a branch. No member data or paper files with member information are stored in our branches, including the Moore branch, which was destroyed in [the] tornado.”

Even though this is "Tornado Alley," this is home.

Sources:

http://situationroom.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/22/22-people-survived-in-bank-vault/?hpt=hp_t2 

https://www.facebook.com/TinkerFCU

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

  • Report: Cyber Attackers Continue to Turn to AI-Based Tools to Avoid Detection

    Comcast Business recently released its 2025 Cybersecurity Threat Report, a comprehensive analysis of 34.6 billion cybersecurity events detected between June 1,2024 and May 31, 2025. Now in its third year, the report offers business leaders a unique perspective into the evolving threat landscape and provides actionable insights to help organizations strengthen their defenses and align cybersecurity with business risk. Read Now

  • Axis Communications Creates AI-powered Video Surveillance Orchestra

    What if cameras could not only see the world, but interpret it—and respond like orchestra musicians reading sheet music: instantly, precisely, and in perfect harmony? That’s what global network technology leader Axis Communications set to find out. Read Now

  • Just as Expected

    GSX produced a wonderful tradeshow earlier this week. Monday was surprisingly strong in the morning, and the afternoon wasn’t bad at all. That’s Monday’s results and asking attendees to travel on Sunday. Just a quick hint, no one wants to give up their weekend to travel and set up an exhibit booth. I’m just saying. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX
  • NOLA: The Crescent City

    Twenty years later we finds ourselves in New Orleans. Twenty years ago the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina forced exhibitors and attendees to look elsewhere for tradeshow floor space. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX

New Products

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.