Tornado Safety: Shelter Options
COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - Tornadoes can happen at any point during the day or night, and the average ‘lead time’ that you’ll have from the moment a warning is issued to possible damage is 13 minutes.
It’s important you have your plan in place and ready to move to your safe place at a moment’s notice once the warning is issued.
BEST SHELTER OPTIONS
- Safe room or storm shelter specifically designed to withstand tornadic winds, preferably reinforced with concrete and rebar
GOOD SHELTER OPTIONS
- Basement
- Small room on the lowest level of a building, near the center and away from windows (bathrooms, closets, and hallways would fall into this category)
BAD SHELTER OPTIONS
- Large, open rooms like a gym or church sanctuary
- Living rooms or bedrooms with windows
- Upstairs rooms, especially in apartments or hotels
WORST SHELTER OPTIONS
- Outdoors
- Under a bridge or overpass
- In any sort of vehicle
- Mobile or manufactured homes, especially those that are anchored poorly to the ground
The idea is to have a plan in place well ahead of when severe weather strikes. Depending on your situation, your plan to seek shelter may have to start earlier than someone else’s -- for example, if you have pets to consider, or someone living with mobility issues in your home. If you live in a mobile home your plan should involve getting out and going somewhere else – a community shelter or a site-built home nearby – and this may have to happen when the tornado watch comes out to allow you and your family plenty of time to get there.
Copyright 2021 WTVM. All rights reserved.
