tornado safety question

[ktgrok]

So, we and the whole state of Florida are looking at potential tornadoes due to Hurricane Ian. Our old house we put up plywood on the windows so I wasn't worried. This house has better windows, but not hurricane rated, and no shutters yet (end of year bonus will go to that). 

They say to go to a downstairs room with no windows. 

Well, the only room like that we have in is a tiny bathroom. No way can we fit 5 humans in there for an hour or two, let alone 200lbs of dog and some cats. 

Then we have the upstairs - two bathrooms and a big walk in closets that have no windows. All of which, including theroo closet, are bigger than the downstairs bathroom. 

Our roof did qualify for wind mitigation discounts on our homeowner's insurance, if that matters. 

What do we do? The dogs each have a giant wire kennel, could put them in those, with a blanket over them to protect from flying glass or whatever, and maybe shove us all in the downstairs bathroom for a short period of time, but not for hours (tornado warnings can go on a long time during a hurricane). 

thoughts?

[Annie G]

Closets work also, in a pinch.  Usually tornado warnings only last a few minutes. We never went to an interior space for just a watch.  Sorry- just noticed you said warnings can go for long periods in a hurricane. I didn’t know that. 
Stay safe!!!!

Edited September 28, 2022 by Annie G

[Mom_to3]

No advice here, just hugs and good thoughts!! We have had tornado warnings, and the only place with no windows is a small walk in closet on the first floor. We do have a small basement accessible via the outdoors only, but would worry that that might flood during something like a hurricane.

[TexasProud]

Yeah, don't use the second floor. I am with the other poster, no coat closet or anything?  If so, maybe some can go to the bathroom and others to the small closet.  My mom's house actually didn't have anything like that that ( all rooms had windows and had an outside wall. So they had an inside hall that they used.

[itsheresomewhere]

We used shut the doors and use the hallway in our house.  Our bathroom was small growing up and there was no way 4 people were going to fit in there unless we acted like sardines.  

Edited September 28, 2022 by itsheresomewhere

[Faith-manor]

Here tornado warnings last at most half an hour, but most of the time shorter than that. Those things move so darn fast. So in your case, we would split and some to to the bathroom, some to closets, added nd the pups to their crates in the most protected spots we can find with a light weight blanket over them for protection from debris. In school, we lined an interior hallway. Agreeing with Texas that second story is a no no.

[vonfirmath]

4 minutes ago, itsheresomewhere said:

We used shut the doors and use the hallway in our house.  Our bathroom was small grouping up and there was no way 4 people were going to fit in there unless we acted like sardines.  

We have 4 people and a small bathroom and we act like sardines because it is the safest room in the house.

[itsheresomewhere]

Just now, vonfirmath said:

We have 4 people and a small bathroom and we act like sardines because it is the safest room in the house.

Unfortunately, someone would have had a light up the creek.  So the hall at was the safest growing up. 

[Acorn]

We squeeze four people standing into a tiny half bath and usually do not have time to locate the cats. They tend to go under couches when the sirens go off. Most of our warnings last less than 20 minutes though.

 

[mlktwins]

Any space under some stairs?

[Selkie]

As others have said, definitely go down to the lowest floor and away from windows. Protect yourself from the possibility of collapsing roofs and walls and flying debris. We have a specially built concrete bunker room in our basement that is big enough for all of us plus our many cats and dogs. We’ve had many a slumber party down there on nights when the weather was wild.

[ktgrok]

3 minutes ago, mlktwins said:

Any space under some stairs?

There IS a closet under the stairs - it isn't big though, maybe two people standing face to face. But it is there. Maybe DH could go there, and me and the kids in the bathroom. 

DS's room is off that bathroom and only has one window, if it is prolonged we may need to spread out into there, and then dart back in the bathroom as needed. 

 

[fraidycat]

Don't go upstairs. Squish into bathroom or closets, or if absolutely necessary, pull a mattress off a bed and huddle behind it in an interior hallway.

[TexasProud]

1 minute ago, ktgrok said:

There IS a closet under the stairs - it isn't big though, maybe two people standing face to face. But it is there. Maybe DH could go there, and me and the kids in the bathroom. 

DS's room is off that bathroom and only has one window, if it is prolonged we may need to spread out into there, and then dart back in the bathroom as needed. 

 

That sounds like a good plan. 

[Grace Hopper]

Where’s your laundry room? Or does it have a window? Think of a space that has more structure around it - plumbing pipes, support beams. 

[ktgrok]

Just realized the laundry room is also an option - no windows. Again, small, just as long as the washer and dryer, and maybe 2 feet of clearance between the machines and the wall, but two people could go there, and the other 3 in the bathroom if one sits inside the bathtub, one on the toilet, and one of the floor. 

[ktgrok]

Ok, so plan will be dogs in kennels with blankets over them, cats in carriers in closet under the stairs if we can manage to get them quickly, and humans in the laundry room and bathroom. I may go ahead and confine the cats to one room once storm hits, to make that easier. One year I actually threw the cats into one dog crate and the dogs in the other!

[Scarlett]

Warnings for you exact area do not go on for hours.  Watch the radar.  If a tornado has been spotted or one is likely in your area then seek shelter in laundry room or bathroom.  Ground level.  With or without dogs.  I love my animals but humans have to be priority.  

[Katy]

It’s not really an hour unless there are multiple tornadoes. So all of those rooms (bathroom, laundry, sitting in the closet under the stairs) would work. I highly recommend Aaron Tuttle’s free weather app. A neighbor in Oklahoma recommended it 3 days before the Moore tornado when it said then that it was going to be an awful day for storms. 

I also highly recommend everyone over age 14 take the National Weather Service’s free class called SkyWarn. We did when we lived in Oklahoma and it’s been so helpful in other states where the tv weather people are often NOT meteorologists. There’s been several times when I didn’t like the look of a hook on the radar, and made everyone sit in the closet under the stairs in the basement. Once 3 people were killed and the NWS declared it was a tornado 3 days later.   At any rate once you’ve taken the class you can see from the radar yourself when a storm is strengthening or weakening, and when it’s safe to go out into the rest of the house. We only took the free online version and it was great. 
 

https://www.weather.gov/SKYWARN

[itsheresomewhere]

If you can do this- Last hurricane, DH and I took shifts so if a warning went off and it showed on the radar near us we could get everyone to safety.  He slept for a few hours and then I did.  It worked out nicely for us. 

[Ausmumof3]

That doesn’t sound fun! Thinking about it we don’t have a single room in the house without windows… clearly not designed for tornadoes 

[lmrich]

could you board up the window in your son's room?

praying for you all!

 

[gardenmom5]

18 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

Just realized the laundry room is also an option - no windows. Again, small, just as long as the washer and dryer, and maybe 2 feet of clearance between the machines and the wall, but two people could go there, and the other 3 in the bathroom if one sits inside the bathtub, one on the toilet, and one of the floor. 

You can also put an animal crate on top of the washer/dryer.

Stay safe.

[Kassia]

Hoping you and everyone else affected by Ian stay safe.  I hate hurricane season!  Check in as often as possible please.

[barnwife]

It sounds like a good plan.

Growing up, we always went to the basement. Until that one time it seemed our small town might take a direct hit. I distinctly remember my mom franctically tossing boxes out of the space beneath the stairs down to the basement. My siblings and I did not want to get in it. That was a very creepy space (lots of spiders!). But they made us and there really wasn't room for all of us, so our parents were kind of stuck in the doorway. As much as I disliked that experience, it was the right call. A small town very near our small town was basically demolished.

Also, I agree with a pp. a watch might go on for a while. But a warning means a tornado has actually been spotted and you need to act immediately. At that point, forget about the animals if they aren't already in a safe spot. 

I hope you and yours (and everyone in the path of this storm) stays safe.

[Kuovonne]

Stay away from the second floor. 

If you need to divide and conquer, decide in advance who goes to which room and have them physically go there before hand to see how they fit. 
 

Have people sit in the space, not stand. Standing temporarily is okay, but having to stand the whole time is uncomfortable. Maybe a smaller person can fit in someone else’s lap?

Prep the space in advance. Stock it with flashlights, blankets, a stuffed animal, small candies, and shoes. You don’t have to wear the shoes when you are waiting. The shoes are in case you are hit and there is debris. You don’t have to tell people about the candy in advance. But it can help pass the time and make people more comfortable. 
 

Consider simple entertainment you can have in a tiny space. Perhaps a short audiobook on a phone. Songs to sing. Campfire style games.

Keep your cell phones with you and charged so you can be sure you will have them with you, especially if some of you will be in different rooms.

If you are in a bathroom and there is a mirror, cover it so that if it breaks some of the shards will be contained. 

The more comfortable you can make the space, the more willing everyone will be to go there and stay there. When we have had a hurricane related tornado warnings, they tended to be rolling warnings. A new warning would be announced just before or shortly after the previous one expired  

We are lucky that we have a large storage area under our stairs. We empty out the stuff and build a snug little hideaway for our family there. Our kids had fun playing with flashlights. 

Edited September 28, 2022 by Kuovonne

[mlktwins]

This may sound weird, but I would have bike helmets in your safe spaces (for the kids) if you have them.

[Carrie12345]

We don’t get big tornadoes here, but we took precautions anyway. We spent watches in our only hallway, next to the bathroom. Usually just me and the kids, so we’d get comfy on the floor with snacks and handheld entertainment. If a warning came, we were right there to huddle in the bathroom until it was over.
(Only once did we actually have to corral pets in there with us.)

[Bootsie]

48 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

Just realized the laundry room is also an option - no windows. Again, small, just as long as the washer and dryer, and maybe 2 feet of clearance between the machines and the wall, but two people could go there, and the other 3 in the bathroom if one sits inside the bathtub, one on the toilet, and one of the floor. 

I have always heard that in the bathtub (not taking a bath with water) in a bathroom on the lowest floor in the center of the house with no windows is the safest place.  

I would choose something on the first floor as close to the center of the house as possible.  If you do not have a place that you can close off from windows, have comforters, pillows, even a mattress to huddle underneath and protect you from flying glass and other debris.

[bookbard]

1 hour ago, Ausmumof3 said:

That doesn’t sound fun! Thinking about it we don’t have a single room in the house without windows… clearly not designed for tornadoes 

Same, no windowless rooms, no built in cupboards or anything like that. We could get into the space under the house, don't know how safe that would be though! Definitely not a cyclone or tornado zone where we are. 

[vonfirmath]

1 hour ago, ktgrok said:

Just realized the laundry room is also an option - no windows. Again, small, just as long as the washer and dryer, and maybe 2 feet of clearance between the machines and the wall, but two people could go there, and the other 3 in the bathroom if one sits inside the bathtub, one on the toilet, and one of the floor. 

This is pretty much how we do it. One in the tub. One on the toilet and two standing on the floor.

 

[vonfirmath]

1 hour ago, barnwife said:

It sounds like a good plan.

Growing up, we always went to the basement. Until that one time it seemed our small town might take a direct hit. I distinctly remember my mom franctically tossing boxes out of the space beneath the stairs down to the basement. My siblings and I did not want to get in it. That was a very creepy space (lots of spiders!). But they made us and there really wasn't room for all of us, so our parents were kind of stuck in the doorway. As much as I disliked that experience, it was the right call. A small town very near our small town was basically demolished.

Also, I agree with a pp. a watch might go on for a while. But a warning means a tornado has actually been spotted and you need to act immediately. At that point, forget about the animals if they aren't already in a safe spot. 

I hope you and yours (and everyone in the path of this storm) stays safe.

Unfortunately the last tornado in our area was already past being a danger to us when the tornado warning was called. Luckily I was on the Internet and saw the newswoman that spotted it on a live camera and we headed to the bunkers without an official warning.

[lauraw4321]

Shoes on. 

Bicycle helmets on. 

First floor, most interior you can get. If someone can’t fit inside, get a mattress to cover them with as they huddle against an interior wall. 

[kbutton]

2 hours ago, ktgrok said:

Just realized the laundry room is also an option - no windows. Again, small, just as long as the washer and dryer, and maybe 2 feet of clearance between the machines and the wall, but two people could go there, and the other 3 in the bathroom if one sits inside the bathtub, one on the toilet, and one of the floor. 

This sounds good if the laundry room is also an interior room.

 

[vonfirmath]

2 minutes ago, kbutton said:

This sounds good if the laundry room is also an interior room.

 

Our laundry room is right next to the attached garage -- which I'm not sure it is as sturdy as the house walls.

[kbutton]

2 minutes ago, vonfirmath said:

Our laundry room is right next to the attached garage -- which I'm not sure it is as sturdy as the house walls.

It probably makes a difference whether the garage door has a rating for wind or not. I remember seeing something about garage doors on a tornado documentary.

Our attached garage has a big steel beam across the top, and a good chunk of the garage is brick exterior. 

[heartlikealion]

3 hours ago, Scarlett said:

Warnings for you exact area do not go on for hours.  Watch the radar.  If a tornado has been spotted or one is likely in your area then seek shelter in laundry room or bathroom.  Ground level.  With or without dogs.  I love my animals but humans have to be priority.  

That’s what I was thinking. I’ve experienced tornados and we’ve never huddled in a bathroom for hours. Briefly only. The hallway itself is also an area without windows (depending on your hallway’s access to nearby glass etc). 

Interior areas are good. Your phone will probably sound off to let you know when it’s really bad or you’ll hear a siren or the sound of a train. Otherwise I kinda just don’t fret. 

[Melissa in Australia]

5 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

That doesn’t sound fun! Thinking about it we don’t have a single room in the house without windows… clearly not designed for tornadoes 

Doesn't sound fun at all. Our whole house is raised 5 feet off the ground on stumps (property on a slope). Glad we don't get tornados here

Edited September 28, 2022 by Melissa in Australia

[bookbard]

Hope you're ok, it was all over the news here in Australia, sounds terrifying.

[73349]

I'm glad you have a plan for downstairs. I have seen a house's second floor sprawled across the front yard after the house was just grazed by a tornado. Our stupid house layout requires us all to get in the coat closet.

[Wheres Toto]

We don't have anywhere to go during a tornado either.  We don't live in a tornado prone area but we've had a few over the past few years.  We happen to live on the side of a granite mountain with fairly steep slopes to the front and back of the house, and from what I understand that makes it a lot less likely a tornado will actually occur in our neighborhood, at least not for very long.  No flat ground at all.  

Our house is a converted summer bungalow so every single room has windows and is on the outside wall.  No hallway, laundry nook is on an outside wall, no basement, garage is detached, no crawlspace.   

[Starr]

Do people need to leave apartment buildings?

[lauraw4321]

12 minutes ago, Starr said:

Do people need to leave apartment buildings?

If people live on a higher floor, I would move to a shelter. 

[ktgrok]

3 hours ago, Wheres Toto said:

We don't have anywhere to go during a tornado either.  We don't live in a tornado prone area but we've had a few over the past few years.  We happen to live on the side of a granite mountain with fairly steep slopes to the front and back of the house, and from what I understand that makes it a lot less likely a tornado will actually occur in our neighborhood, at least not for very long.  No flat ground at all.  

Our house is a converted summer bungalow so every single room has windows and is on the outside wall.  No hallway, laundry nook is on an outside wall, no basement, garage is detached, no crawlspace.   

yeah - here in Florida, as one friend put it, our windows have windows. 

[ktgrok]

We are looking at 14 inches of rain!

[Kassia]

1 hour ago, Starr said:

Do people need to leave apartment buildings?

I was wondering about dorms, too.  

[Miss Tick]

2 hours ago, Starr said:

Do people need to leave apartment buildings?

 

5 minutes ago, Kassia said:

I was wondering about dorms, too.  

Usually staircases or communal bathrooms are designed as shelters. It gets building specific, though. I would feel more comfortable about a dorm than a 75 year old apartment building.

[Bootsie]

My experiences with tornadoes were different when I lived on the Gulf Coast that was hit with a hurricane and when I lived in Tornado Alley.  The particular risk factor varied from hurricane to hurricane (and which side of the eye of the hurricane you were on).  Some tornadoes brought high winds, some brought a huge tidal wave, others brought torrential rains.  We had no basements because they would flood.  You didn't get out of a car and seek shelter in a ditch because ditches were flooded (and water moccasins or alligators were possible).  Small, frequent tornadoes might be spawned, which were likely to take a tree down onto your roof; often it was difficult to tell if damage was done by a tornado or simply high winds.  You might need to spend hours sheltered from high winds and tornadic activity.  The general rule was first floor and center of house, but rising water may necessitate going to upper levels of the house, despite tornado risk.   This is very different from the large, sweeping cyclones that occur in Tornado Alley where a single large tornado can be tracked for long distances and you go to the basement.  

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, Bootsie said:

My experiences with tornadoes were different when I lived on the Gulf Coast that was hit with a hurricane and when I lived in Tornado Alley.  The particular risk factor varied from hurricane to hurricane (and which side of the eye of the hurricane you were on).  Some tornadoes brought high winds, some brought a huge tidal wave, others brought torrential rains.  We had no basements because they would flood.  You didn't get out of a car and seek shelter in a ditch because ditches were flooded (and water moccasins or alligators were possible).  Small, frequent tornadoes might be spawned, which were likely to take a tree down onto your roof; often it was difficult to tell if damage was done by a tornado or simply high winds.  You might need to spend hours sheltered from high winds and tornadic activity.  The general rule was first floor and center of house, but rising water may necessitate going to upper levels of the house, despite tornado risk.   This is very different from the large, sweeping cyclones that occur in Tornado Alley where a single large tornado can be tracked for long distances and you go to the basement.  

Yes, I wasn't sure how to explain the difference between midwest/western tornadoes vs the Florida experience. Smaller, but many of them forming off and on. 

[ktgrok]

REgarding coverage to watch, I second Tom Terry at WFTV channel 9 if you can get it. Very matter of fact, no drama compared to most other coverage. And very accurate. It is local to central Florida, so orange, seminole, polk, osceola, brevard, and volusia counties (maybe lake as well?)