The Friday of May 31, 2013 seemed like "déjà vu all over again," as Yogi Berra would say. Only two weeks had passed since a devastating tornado hit the city of Moore, Oklahoma, and it seemed we were in for a repeat of equal magnitude. This time though, the storm hit 125 miles west of Dewberry's Tulsa office, and the city of El Reno, a small historic town nestled along U.S. Route 66 braced itself as the 295 mph winds bore down on them.

The tornado that struck El Reno was not only the widest but also one of the most powerful to touch down in the United States. At 2.5 miles wide, it affected hundreds of Oklahomans. The nine children and two adults that huddled in the safe room of El Reno's Donald W. Reynolds Caring Center, however, made it out of that historic storm without a scratch.

In 2008 the Donald W. Reynolds Caring Center in El Reno opened its doors to meet a critical community need: an emergency shelter for abused or neglected children and families. The two, one-story buildings consist of a Family Services Center and a Youth Shelter. As part of the design plans, Dewberry included a centralized protected area in the middle of the Youth Shelter, which on a regular day serves as both a pantry and laundry room.

As the tornado developed with frightening speed, the 40-person protected area lived up to its original function. Only to be outdone by the tornado that touched down a week earlier, the record-breaking winds tore at the center's roofing while flying debris shattered car windows. 300 yards away, a neighboring technical school was being devastated. As Dee Blose, Executive Director of the center's Youth & Family Services, explains:

"As you can imagine, we are a bit shell shocked but thankful everyone was safe. Thank goodness for a great safe room and a nice sturdy building. If we had been in a building like the last, we would be a big pile of twigs. Nine kids and two staff rode it out in that awesome safe room and came out without a scratch."

Dewberry architect Jim Healy performed a recent walkthrough as part of an assessment recovery team that included the original builder and structural engineer-of-record. The team determined that there was no structural damage to the building, an incredible outcome resulting from smart architectural planning and general good luck. In Jim's own words: "These storms sound like a barreling train, and last all of 10 minutes. Walking out afterwards, the land can be totally unrecognizable. Everything is just leveled."

While the roof needs repair and some insulation, ceilings, carpet and flooring need fixing, the shelter is expected to be up and running quickly. The main building may take 45 to 60 days to be fully operational.

While damaged buildings can be restored and communities can rebuild, lives cannot. The Donald W. Reynolds Caring Center is not a grand architectural icon, but it did exactly what it was supposed to do. We are very proud of Dewberry's project team, whose attention to detail kept 11 people safe from a devastating natural disaster.

From the entire Dewberry staff all across the nation, we wish everyone affected by the disaster a healthy and quick recovery.