Tornado Sirens

[MeaganS]

We just spent the last 20 minutes in our (full) closet with my husband and two daughters, while the older daughter watched Winnie the Pooh on the laptop (a tornato siren tradition).

 

I used to live in western Oklahoma, and we had tornadoes by the dozens there. I used to love when the sirens went off because that mean you should go outside and see the show mother nature is putting on.

 

Now that I have kids, though, it's a whole other matter. I'm way more nervous than I used to be.

 

So, my question: when the tornado sirens go off, where do you go (if you go anywhere) and what do you grab?

 

We have our 72 hour kits, which are in dangerous need of updating, our laptop, ipod touch, a cell phone, and things for the kids to play with. We also have everything that's normally in a closet like clothes and shoes and stuff like that.

[Cricket]

I remember sitting in our yucky unfinished, creepy basement one night with a tiny black-and-white TV. We convinced our parents to let us watch Family Ties. I always associate that show with tornadoes. We didn't have sirens out in the country though. My parents probably stayed up watching or listening to weather reports. I know what you mean about being more nervous now that you have kids. I remember standing outside one afternoon watching the clouds swirl and churn over our house and seeing a funnel form, then dissipate. I don't think I could handle it if my kids did that! Now that we are in Arizona, we don't worry about tornadoes.

 

I hope it all passes by you with no damage!

Edited February 24, 2011 by Cricket

[Mom2J112903]

J's closet because it is a walk-in and literally in the center of our home. No basement or storm shelter otherwise, only thing I dislike about this house. Growing up we had a basement and when we first moved back down here, we had a storm shelter.

 

Grab-J (of course!), the dog, the cat (if he can be caught), weather radio and now the I-Touch. Bottled water, blankets, pillows and a battery operated lantern stay in J's closet.

[kchara]

The lowest place we could get would be our living room. It's built out of cinderblock, anyway. (I mean every. single. wall. I can't even hang anything up.) So, this is where we'd go. Might go into the closet under the stairs, or into the laundry room, if we could all fit, but, overall, just into the living room.

 

I told DH that when we buy or build, I want a finished basement. I grew up in Indiana, tons of tornadoes, and we live in Kansas now. Going through tornado season without a basement freaks me out.

[hsbaby]

We moved to TN from CA five years ago. After the first storm season we bought a tornado shelter. We didn't feel to safe in our closet and the peace of mind was worth the money to us:)

[Hannah C.]

I would go into my bathroom and shut the door. It's the most central/inside place we have in our apartment. I'd grab my baby and my cell phone.

[mcconnellboys]

The few times we've had one here, we generally just grab shoes and the weather radio and head to the basement. Now that we have laptops, we might grab those, too. I have taken my purse before, which generally has my phone in it, too....

[KnitWit]

We put the kids in our closet with their mp3's/Nintendos/books/lantern and dh and I go out on the porch.