Your City Guide to the Restoration and Cleaning Services as well as the Major Attractions and Events of Tulsa, OK
Tulsa, OK Skyline
Tulsa, OK is located in the northeast region of Oklahoma and covers parts of four counties including Tulsa County which has the highest population density in the state. What started out as a settlement of Creek Indians in the 1830s became the “Oil Capital of the World” in the 20th century as Tulsa was established as the center of the American oil industry just after U.S. entry to WWI. Today Tulsa has a much more diversified economy built around finance, aviation, transportation, and energy as well as higher education. The city is located near the Ozark Mountains along the Arkansas River in the “Green Country” region of Oklahoma and is considered by several publications such as Forbes and Partners for Livable Communities to be one of the most livable big cities in the U.S.
Tulsa was rated to be one of the top 50 cities in U.S. by BusinessWeek in 2012 as the city has the right environment to attract businesses and residents to the area. However, Tulsa is prone to some severe weather conditions which greatly increase the risk of property damage to homes and businesses. Those that own homes or businesses in Tulsa and the surrounding areas should know that there are professionals in the area that provide disaster restoration and cleaning services to help clean and restore your property after a major disaster. The technicians that provide this service are highly trained and certified to do quality work and calling them immediately can help prevent more extensive damage.
Spring Rains and Floods: Water Damage Restoration in Tulsa, OK
Tulsa receives the majority of its annual rainfall in the spring and experiences humid temperatures throughout the year which can help contribute to various forms of water damage. Water damage can also be caused by non-natural factors such as burst pipes, fixture leaks, and sewage backups. If water damage occurs in your home or building in Tulsa, OK, you should contact the local water damage restoration professionals right away to stop the spread of the damage and remove the excess water or moisture. You must address water damage issues immediately because they can lead to mold growth which is already more likely in the humid climate of Tulsa.
Mold Removal Services in Tulsa, OK
Lightning Over Tulsa, OK
Mold growth in a home or building is often caused by excess water or humidity and the high levels of humidity and precipitation in the Tulsa area make controlling mold growth more difficult. Mold is not only a threat to damage your property, it is also a threat to your health as exposure to mold spores can lead to allergies and respiratory infections. Any mold must be removed right away and the mold removal specialists in Tulsa, OK can effectively remove mold growth and repair the surfaces it damaged. These technicians are also trained to fix the moisture source that caused the mold to help prevent future growth.
Fire Damage Restoration Services in Tulsa, OK
Fires are a threat to happen at virtually anytime and the damage they cause can be extensive and dangerous. Even after the fire is extinguished, corrosive byproducts, soot, and chemical emissions can continue to cause damage which will become permanent if it is not restored quickly enough. The fire damage restoration professionals of Tulsa will immediately stop the spread of the damage and they can repair and restore the damage caused to your home or building, furnishings, and personal belongings. These technicians can also restore smoke damage and remove any lingering odors left in your home or building from the smoke or fire.
From One Extreme to the Next: Tulsa Weather
The Tulsa area has a mostly humid, temperate climate but the weather it experiences can be extreme and it differs between seasons. Most of the annual rainfall that Tulsa receives occurs in the spring and early summer months and it may be accompanied by thunderstorms, hail storms, strong winds, and sometimes tornadoes. It is possible for severe weather to occur in other seasons as well in Tulsa and the area has also experienced several major floods which led the city to adopt a flood management plan in 1984. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has acknowledged Tulsa as the country’s leading city in floodplain management.
Golden Driller in Tulsa, OK
In the late summer through early fall, Tulsa experiences warm temperatures approaching the triple digits and the humidity causes higher concentrations of ozone in the air. By the fall season, the temperature drops into a more pleasant range and the nights are much cooler. The winters in Tulsa tend to be mild but the temperatures can drop down below 20 degrees and the area averages about 9.6 inches in annual snowfall.
Tulsa’s tendency for severe weather and humid conditions only increases the risks of property damage to your home or business which makes it important for residents and business owners in the area to prepare their property for severe weather and know what to do in an emergency. Whether you experience property damage from a flood, strong winds, mold, or a tornado, the disaster restoration professionals in the Tulsa area can help repair and restore your property and prevent further damage. You should never hesitate when dealing with matters concerning property damage as reacting quickly can save you costs on both the repair and insurance claims.
From an Oil Economy to Diversification: the Economy of Tulsa, OK
Tulsa became the center of the oil industry in the United States when the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, later the United States Oil and Gas Association, was founded just after the United States entered World War I. Tulsa’s economy depended largely on gas and oil production throughout much of the twentieth century and between 2001 and 2003, a national recession caused large job losses in the city of Tulsa. City officials responded with the Vision 2025 economic development initiative that focused on diversifying Tulsa’s economy to create jobs to replace the ones lost during the recession. This initiative has helped improve infrastructure and retail development, diversify the economy, and raise employment levels with new jobs, resulting in an unemployment rate of 4.5% in 2014.
One sector of Tulsa’s economy that has grown is trade and transportation with the Tulsa International Airport and Tulsa Port of Catoosa. The Tulsa Port of Catoosa is the most inland seaport in the U.S. with access to international waters for trade. American Airlines operates the largest maintenance facility in the world at Tulsa International Airport which serves as the global maintenance headquarters for American Airlines and is the largest employer in Tulsa. The financial sector is another part of Tulsa’s economy that has grown since the recession of the early 2000s. The largest financial corporation with its headquarters in Tulsa is the BOK Financial Corporation. The oil industry still has a significant presence in the city as Excel Energy, ONEOK, SemGroup, Williams Companies, and Syntroleum also have headquarters in Tulsa.
Higher education is another important sector of Tulsa’s economy with 15 higher education institutions and two private universities. The private universities include the University of Tulsa which was founded in 1894 but moved to Tulsa in 1907 and Oral Roberts University, a Christian institution founded in 1963. Both of these private universities were ranked among the 123 best schools in the Western United States in 2007 by the Princeton Review. Tulsa is also home to Rogers State University, the only public four-year university in Tulsa, as well as Tulsa Community College, the biggest community college in the state, and satellite campuses of Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma.
Residential and Commercial Cleaning Services
The Tulsa area has been noted as one of the leaders in the U.S. in terms of income growth, one of the best cities to do business with, and a city with one of the lowest costs for doing business. These characteristics have encouraged economic development and new businesses in Tulsa and if you have a home or business in the area, it is important to keep it clean to maintain its appearance and the health of those within. The cleaning professionals in the Tulsa, OK area provide carpet cleaning services for homes and businesses that are effective for maintaining the appearance and cleanliness of the building. Dirt and other debris gets trapped in the carpet fibers with consistent use and this debris diminishes the look of the carpet and contributes to poor indoor air quality. Professional carpet cleaning services help improve the appearance of the home or building by restoring the carpeting which also helps promote a healthier environment.
Social Issues: High Crime Rates in Tulsa, OK
Aerial photo of Tulsa Port of Catoosa
Even though the overall trend shows a steady decrease in crime rates, Tulsa still has crime rates that are well above the national average in most categories with local gangs numbering in the thousands. While crime scenes may be a regular occurrence within the city at large, individual citizens rarely if ever have to deal directly with the scene of a violent crime, but it helps to know what to do in such a situation. It is of course crucial to contact the proper law enforcement authorities and EMT’s but the cleaning must be done by professionals certified in crime scene cleanup. There are restoration professionals in Tulsa, OK that provide crime scene cleanup services to safely remove dangerous biohazard materials such as blood and bodily fluids, as well as decontaminate the area so that it is safe for use. The cleanup of biohazard materials should be left exclusively to the professionals because they can spread infection and disease if not properly cleaned up.
From the Arts to the Outdoors: Popular Tulsa Events and Attractions
Tulsa is the cultural center of the northeast Oklahoma region with a lively art scene that is heavily influenced by American and Native American culture. The city is home to several art museums and galleries as well as performing arts venues and an excellent park system. The following is a list of fun things to do in Tulsa, OK.
- Museums and Art Galleries: Tulsa offers a variety of museums and art galleries that each commemorate a different aspect of the local history. The Philbrook Museum is one of the few museums to feature a formal garden, historic home, and an art collection and is regarded as one of the 50 best art museums in the country. The Gilcrease Museum is also in Tulsa and features the art work of Thomas Gilcrease as well as other art and artifacts pertaining to the American West. Other notable Tulsa museums include the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, the Greenwood Culture Center which commemorates Tulsa’s African American heritage, the Tulsa Air and Space Museum, the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, and the Woody Guthrie Center.
- Public Art Work: A notable part of the art scene in Tulsa is the public art in the form of sculptures in the city’s trails and parks. The most popular sculptures in Tulsa are Cyrus Dallin’s Appeal to the Great Spirit in Woodward Park, a bronze sculpture of praying hands at Oral Roberts University, and the Golden Driller at the Tulsa County Fairgrounds.
- Performing Arts: As a compliment to its art scene, Tulsa also has a vibrant performing arts scene that includes dance and theater companies as well as concert groups. These groups include the Tulsa Opera, the Tulsa Ballet, the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, the Signature Symphony at TCC, the American Theatre Company, and Theatre Tulsa among others. There are several performing arts venues in Tulsa including The Tulsa Performing Arts Center, Expo Square Pavilion, the Tulsa Convention Center, the BOK Center, and the Tulsa Spotlight Theater which hosts a performance of The Drunkard, America’s longest running play, every Saturday night. Many of the touring concerts in Tulsa can also be seen at one of these venues.
Tulsa McFarlin Library
- Tulsa Zoo and Aquarium: The Tulsa Zoo is a popular Tulsa attraction and has even been voted America’s Favorite Zoo by Microsoft Game Studios in 2005. This zoo houses over 1,500 animals on 84 acres within the 2,800-acre Mohawk Park, which is the country’s third largest municipal park. The Oklahoma Aquarium is located in the suburb of Jenks on the west side of the Arkansas River and it is home to thousands of saltwater and fresh water marine animals as well as a walk-through tunnel and shark tank.
- Festivals: Tulsa hosts a variety of seasonal and cultural festivals throughout the year that attract a lot of visitors from the area and beyond. One of the most popular festivals in Tulsa is the Tulsa State Fair which attracts an average of about one million visitors over ten days. Tulsa’s Oktoberfest is considered by USA Today to be one of the top ten in the world and the Mayfest arts and crafts festival which is held every year downtown draws plenty of visitors during its four day run. Other notable festivals in Tulsa include the Intertribal Indian Club Powwow of Champions, Greek Festival, India Fest, Scotstfest, ShalomFest, Festival Viva Mexico, and the Asian-American Festival.
- Sports: Tulsa, OK has a variety of professional and collegiate sports teams, most of which play at the BOK Center or ONEOK Field. The Tulsa Shock of the WNBA are the only top level professional sports team in Tulsa and the city is also home to the minor league hockey team the Tulsa Oilers, the Tulsa Drillers of minor league baseball’s Texas League, two minor league men’s soccer teams the Tulsa Roughnecks FC and the Tulsa Athletics, and the women’s soccer team the FC Tulsa Spirit. The University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane and the Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles play NCAA Division 1 collegiate sports in the city. The Southern Hills Country Club, one of the top rated golf courses in the U.S., has hosted several U.S. Opens and PGA Championships.
- Parks and Recreation: Tulsa has a large park system that covers over 6,000 acres and includes 135 parks. Woodward Park is one of the area’s more popular parks as it is home to the Tulsa Municipal Rose Garden within its botanical gardens as well as Linnaeus Teaching Gardens in which visitors can learn and observe techniques for growing vegetables, flowers, plants, and ground covers. There are also a series of parks along the Arkansas River called the Tulsa River Parks that include trails and playground equipment. On the west side of the Arkansas River is the 300-acre River Parks Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area that has over 45 miles of multi-purpose dirt trails.
Sources:
https://www.cityoftulsa.org/default.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa,_Oklahoma
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g51697-Tulsa_Oklahoma-Vacations.html
About Vince Sandri
Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.
