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What to Do In a Tornado Indoors
March 19, 2023 at 05:27 PM EDT
By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Fred Allen
A tornado can be both breath-taking and scary, or mesmerizing or catastrophic, especially up close-and-personal, it could be a life-changing event! What if you’re at home? It’s these spots that will provide the best protection from its destructive prowess.
Of course, there isn’t a completely safe place during a tornado, so make sure that you and family practice and prepare over-over-and over again! This way if a tornado were to strike while you were home, you’d have a designated safe spot to meet.
● Typically, this meeting spot will be the interior part of the home or basement. If an interior part of your basement is not an option, find an interior room without WINDOWS on the lowest floor with as many walls between you and the outside as possible.
● Avoid, avoid, avoid, WINDOWS! An exploding window will likely lead to injury or even death!
● In that interior center hallway, bathroom or closet, add protection by crouching under a sturdy heavy table, workbench, or cover your body with a pillow, sleeping bags, or a mattress. Protect your head with anything possible from flying debris, even using your hands.
● Avoid taking shelter near, or under heavy objects, such as pianos or refrigerators. These items could fall, even through the floor above you, leading to possibly injury and death.
● Do not stay in a mobile home, especially if built before 1976! These manufactured homes are particularly vulnerable to high winds. If a basement or underground safe place is not an option, find the nearest ditch, ravine, or culvert, lie flat and protect your head with your hands.
The best way to stay safe if a tornado were to strike, avoiding injury or worse, is to prepare by having an emergency plan in place. Stay weather aware, this can be done by following the local media or a NOAA weather radio station for changing weather information. Tornadoes can touchdown fast, with little lead time for a tornado warning. A dark or green-colored sky, a large, dark, low-lying cloud, large hail, and an audible loud roar like a freight train can all be indications a tornado is approaching.
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Sources: NOAA, CDC
Story Image: A house is destroyed by a tornado, except an innermost bathroom seen in this picture in Tulsa, Okla. (Courtesy of NOAA Photo Library, NOAA Central Library; OAR/ERL/NSSL)
Of course, there isn’t a completely safe place during a tornado, so make sure that you and family practice and prepare over-over-and over again! This way if a tornado were to strike while you were home, you’d have a designated safe spot to meet.
● Typically, this meeting spot will be the interior part of the home or basement. If an interior part of your basement is not an option, find an interior room without WINDOWS on the lowest floor with as many walls between you and the outside as possible.
● Avoid, avoid, avoid, WINDOWS! An exploding window will likely lead to injury or even death!
● In that interior center hallway, bathroom or closet, add protection by crouching under a sturdy heavy table, workbench, or cover your body with a pillow, sleeping bags, or a mattress. Protect your head with anything possible from flying debris, even using your hands.
● Avoid taking shelter near, or under heavy objects, such as pianos or refrigerators. These items could fall, even through the floor above you, leading to possibly injury and death.
● Do not stay in a mobile home, especially if built before 1976! These manufactured homes are particularly vulnerable to high winds. If a basement or underground safe place is not an option, find the nearest ditch, ravine, or culvert, lie flat and protect your head with your hands.
The best way to stay safe if a tornado were to strike, avoiding injury or worse, is to prepare by having an emergency plan in place. Stay weather aware, this can be done by following the local media or a NOAA weather radio station for changing weather information. Tornadoes can touchdown fast, with little lead time for a tornado warning. A dark or green-colored sky, a large, dark, low-lying cloud, large hail, and an audible loud roar like a freight train can all be indications a tornado is approaching.
---
Sources: NOAA, CDC
Story Image: A house is destroyed by a tornado, except an innermost bathroom seen in this picture in Tulsa, Okla. (Courtesy of NOAA Photo Library, NOAA Central Library; OAR/ERL/NSSL)