Tornadoes can strike with little warning, and when they do, you may only have minutes to get to safety. Knowing exactly where to go and what to do can make the difference between life and death.
If you live in an area that is vulnerable to tornadoes, you’ve undoubtedly heard the advice to head to your shelter or basement as a severe storm approaches. The good news is that you can survive a tornado even without a basement, if you know how to prepare and where to take shelter.
This guide explains the safest places to go, what to avoid, and how to protect yourself and your family before and during a tornado.
This article updated with new tips, strategies, and statistics. March, 2026
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In this article
- The First Rule of Tornado Survival
- Where to Go During a Tornado
- Equipping A Tornado Safe Room
- Go To A Safer Location
- Tornado Warning vs Tornado Watch
- Tornado Survival Step-by-Step
- Tornado Survival in Special Situations
- Tornado Survival Kits
- Common Tornado Myths That Could Get You Killed
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More About Severe Weather Safety
- Create Your Grab-and-Go Binder TODAY!
- Final Thoughts
For an entire week leading up to the April 2011 storms and tornados that devastated parts of Northern Alabama in general, the local weather forecasters issued warnings. Meteorologists told us to be ready for tornadoes because they saw the dangerous weather pattern emerging. Tornadoes are one of the most dangerous types of severe weather, but they’re only one part of the bigger picture. For a broader plan, see my guide to severe weather preparedness for families.
Tornado survival suddenly became a hot topic in our household and our community Facebook group, and we discussed how to prepare for a tornado without a basement or shelter. Fortunately, my family knew how to survive a tornado and kept our tornado survival kit handy. All too often, though, people are caught by surprise.
The good news? A basement isn’t essential for survival. The key is to be proactive. Don’t wait for the storm’s fury to be right outside your door before scrambling for safety. By staying informed about weather forecasts, you can gain valuable lead time (often at least a few hours) to put your tornado safety plan into action.
The First Rule of Tornado Survival
Tornado survival comes down to one simple rule: once you know for certain the tornado is on its way, get to the lowest, most protected space possible as fast as possible. When a tornado warning is issued, every minute matters, and knowing exactly where to go and what to do will save lives.
The safest places in your home during a tornado are:
- A basement or storm shelter
- A small interior room on the lowest floor
- A hallway
- A windowless bathroom or closet
- A reinforced safe room
If you don’t have a basement, any interior room without windows can still provide an effective option. As you think about your home and living space now, what rooms come to mind that might provide that type of shelter?
Knowing your safest places now, beforehand, is one of the most important steps to take for tornado preparedness.
Where to Go During a Tornado
Picking the safest spot to shelter during a tornado warning might be the most important decision you make to stay safe when a tornado hits. Fortunately, you have a lot of options. If you don’t have a basement or storm shelter, most homes still have at least one spot that offers better protection than others.
Best Places In Your Home
Once you understand the basic rules — lowest level, interior location, and away from windows — it becomes easier to identify the safest places inside your home. Many houses have at least one or two areas that offer better protection during a tornado.
Common safer locations include:
- Interior bathrooms – Small, enclosed spaces with plumbing in the walls that may add structural support.
- Closets – Especially walk-in or hallway closets located near the center of the home.
- Interior hallways – Most hallways have at least two walls between them and the exterior. Good choice.
- Under-stair storage areas – Often surrounded by framing and interior walls.
- Interior laundry rooms or pantries – Small rooms with solid walls and minimal openings.
Small rooms are often safer than large ones because they usually have more structural support and fewer weak points.
If You Don’t Have a Basement
No basement, no storm shelter — you still have hope! Whether you decide to ride out the storm or a physical disability or other circumstance makes it impossible to evacuate, take a critical look at your housing — single-family home, apartment, and so on — and make a plan to get to the safest part of the house possible.
Here’s what to look for in the safest possible shelter location:
- Stay on the ground floor whenever possible.
- Choose an interior room or hallway near the center of the structure.
- Put as many walls between you and the outside as possible.
- Avoid exterior walls, doors, and windows.
- Choose the smallest space available.
- Take cover under a sturdy object such as a table or heavy desk.
- Be aware of heavy objects on upper floors that could fall through a weakened ceiling.
- Stage blankets, pillows, or a mattress in this location for added protection.
Common shelter locations that fit these guidelines include:
- Bathrooms
- Closets
- Interior hallways
- Under-stair storage areas
All of these guidelines apply to apartment dwellers as well. If you live above the first floor, talk with your apartment manager ahead of time about tornado shelter options within the building.
Many tornado survivors have stayed safe by sheltering in small interior spaces just like these.
Creating a “Shelter Within a Shelter”
Once you’ve decided on the safest location for tornado survival, consider how you might designate an even smaller space, one that’s even more defensible against the winds and debris of a full-on tornado.
You can increase your protection even more by creating a smaller, more protected space within that room — a “shelter within a shelter.“
The goal is to make your immediate space as compact and protected as possible, reducing your exposure to flying debris and structural collapse.
For example:
- Hallway: Instead of planning on just hanging around in the hallway, position yourself low to the ground in a corner where two interior walls meet. This gives you extra structural support and fewer directions for debris to reach you.
- Bathroom: A bathroom may be one of the safest rooms in the house, but think about exactly where you will position yourself. A bathtub or shower stall can provide a lower profile and more protection than sitting or standing in the middle of the room.
- Closet: Move toward a corner and away from the door if possible. Surround yourself with soft items like blankets or stored clothing to help cushion flying debris.
- Under stairs: Sit as far back as possible and protect your head and neck.
Once you’ve identified your space, test it ahead of time. Make sure everyone in the family can fit there quickly and comfortably during an emergency.
What If Every Room Has A Window?
Even if a room has windows, the goal is to find the space that offers the most barriers between you and the outside, and the smallest possible area to minimize the risk of being hit by debris or structural collapse.
Identify the Room Furthest from Exterior Walls: Walk through your house and determine which room has the most walls separating it from the outside. This is likely to be a central bathroom, a walk-in closet, or even a hallway. Even with windows, this location is preferred.
Use Protective Cover: This is crucial. Grab whatever you can to shield yourself. A mattress or couch cushions are excellent for absorbing impact. Use them to cover your entire body, especially your head and neck. Coats, hats, boots, jackets — any type of clothing or covering helps protect you from falling debris.
Get Low: Crouch down as low as possible to the floor.
Put as Many Walls as Possible Between You and the Window: Even if you’re in a room with a window, position yourself against the interior wall furthest from that window.
Glass Dividers In a Bathroom: A lot of showers and tubs have glass walls or dividers around them. Even tempered glass can break into thousands of pieces. If a bathroom is your choice, then position yourself away from the glass enclosure and protect yourself with something heavy like a mattress.
Equipping A Tornado Safe Room
Once you decide on a location for your family’s “tornado safe room”, equip it with a few supplies. Add a small bin with a lid to hold things like water bottles, a flashlight or two, an emergency radio, and a small power bank with charging cord for your smartphone.
Add a sturdy pair of shoes and socks for each family member and even protective, plastic helmets in case of falling debris. Motorcycle, bicycle, or football helmets work, too.
Think of items you might need to get up-to-date information, lighting during the night, and protective clothing if you have to walk through rubble.
Pack a First Aid kit with supplies to treat soft tissue injuries. Things like lacerations, punctures, and abrasions make up around 50% of all tornado-related injuries. More serious injuries, like bone fractures, are also common. These will need to be treated by medical professionals, and the injured person shouldn’t be moved, but a First Aid class will give you basic steps to take until the injured person can be seen and treated.
Go To A Safer Location
Go to a friend’s house
Consider leaving your home and staying with a friend who has a shelter or basement. Make these arrangements ahead of time. Don’t assume there is space for you or that they’ll even be home. Twenty-four-hour access is ideal but not always possible. Ensure every family member knows where it is, when to call, and how to get there.
Plan to bring enough food and water to last your family a minimum of three days. Be sure to take your emergency kit and important papers with you. Your home might be damaged or you might not be able to return to your neighborhood right away.
If you live in an area prone to tornadoes, have a kit ready to go, either in backpacks or a bin on wheels.
Go to a community storm shelter
When you create your emergency binder, include a list of community storm shelters in your area. Know where they are and the quickest route to get to each one. Know the rules of the shelter. For instance, most don’t allow pets, some don’t allow large bags or bins, and many request that you bring your own bottles of water and snacks.
Know that shelters often fill up quickly so don’t wait until the last minute to arrive. Community shelters are often cramped, sweaty, and full of frightened and/or bored children. However, the safety and peace of mind they provide are worth it.
If you’ve never needed to stay in one, this article from the Survival Mom archives gives an overview of what a Red Cross shelter is like and what to expect.
Go to a public building
Some public spaces like churches, libraries, malls, large stores, and government buildings have storm shelters or “safe areas” built in for their employees and customers. Going to these locations and waiting out a storm is an option.
Speak to a manager ahead of time to determine their policy for allowing members of the public to use their location. Add this information, along with the address of the building, to your emergency binder.
Again, keep an eye on weather reports and the possibility of tornadic activity. Then, if you absolutely must be away from home, know where the closest of these shelters is and the quickest route there.
If you choose this option, be sure to leave your home well ahead of the storm. Keep in mind that tornadoes can happen in the middle of the night when public buildings are unlikely to be open and available.
Paint your house number on your shelter door. After a violent tornado, entire neighborhoods are unrecognizable. Rescuers will need a way to find you.
Worst Places in a House
Some areas of a home are much more dangerous during a tornado and should be avoided whenever possible. These locations are more exposed to wind, flying debris, and collapse.
Avoid taking shelter in:
- Rooms with large windows – Glass can shatter and turn into dangerous flying debris.
- Upper floors – Higher floors are more exposed to strong winds and debris. If possible, move to the lowest level of the home.
- Garages – Garage doors can fail in high winds, allowing the structure to collapse.
- Large open rooms – Living rooms, great rooms, and rooms with wide spans of ceiling or roof are more likely to collapse.
- Rooms with heavy objects overhead – Avoid areas where large furniture, appliances, or stored items could fall through a weakened ceiling.
If you live in a mobile home, plan ahead to move to a sturdier building or designated storm shelter when severe weather is forecast. Mobile homes are especially vulnerable to tornado damage and should not be considered safe shelter.
A Word About Mobile Homes
A mobile home is the antithesis of tornado safety. They do not have a safe area.
I repeat. They do not have a safe area.
Not even those with tie-downs.
According to the National Weather Service’s (NWS) tornado safety page, if you live in a mobile home and there is a tornado warning in your area “move immediately to a substantial shelter.” On average, 72% of all tornado fatalities occur in homes, and of those, 54% are in mobile homes.
In 2024 specifically, of the 54 confirmed tornado deaths: 33 occurred in a manufactured home, 10 in a traditionally built home, 3 in a vehicle, 3 outdoors, 1 inside a building, and 4 locations unknown. That means 61% of all 2024 tornado deaths were in mobile homes.
If for some reason you aren’t able to get to a safer location, you are in the difficult position of having to make the best of a bad situation. The NWS states you’re still at risk whether you remain in your car or lay in an area lower than the road, like a ditch, “both of which are last resort options that provide little protection.”
The best plan will be to stay tuned in to local weather reports, have a weather alert app on your phone, and a vehicle gassed up and ready with your emergency kit inside. Have a list of two or three safer locations you can get to, in order of their distance from your home. Also, have a plan to bring your pets with you.
Tornado Warning vs Tornado Watch
A tornado watch means to be prepared. Weather conditions indicate that tornadoes are possible in the watch area. This is when you get your supplies set in place and your family gathered together so you can act quickly. Learning how to be a Weather Spotter will give you even more knowledge to spot incoming bad weather before anyone else.
A tornado warning means to act now. There has either been a visual sighting of a tornado or one is indicated on radar. Go immediately to the location you’ve designated as your shelter. Do not ever disregard a warning. By the time a warning is issued, you may have no more than ten to fifteen minutes to get to safety.
Wait to call someone outside of the area you are in until after you are in that place. Just telling someone your pre-disaster plans is never enough. When a tornado hits, you may be nowhere near your planned shelter. Be very specific about your location. If you are unable to contact someone, post your location on social media.
Tornado Survival Step-by-Step
When a tornado watch or warning is issued, your goal is to move quickly and follow a simple plan. These steps are designed to keep you from wasting precious time trying to decide what to do in the moment.
Step 1: Get Alerts Early
Make sure you can receive tornado warnings in more than one way, especially at night. Use multiple alert sources so you’re not relying on a single phone notification. I recommend using these apps and websites.
- FEMA app
- Weather.gov
- MyRadar
- Storm Shield app
- Your local TV stations
Step 2: Move To Shelter Immediately
As soon as a tornado warning is issued for your area, go to your planned shelter location right away. Do not wait to “see what happens” or watch the storm from a window. Turn off all utilities. Save yourself further grief after the tornado passes.
Have on each person a photo ID, a charged cellphone, and a whistle to attract attention should your shelter area be under debris. If there’s time, secure or move inside items like trash cans and patio furniture — anything that could become flying debris.
Place small pets in a crate with a towel or blanket covering them. Ideally, each pet wears a collar as well. Microchip each cat and/or dog now in case they lose their collars in the chaos of a tornado. Store leashes nearby. For larger pets, consider keeping both collars and leashes on them while you are waiting out the storm. An emergency kit for your pets is a good idea, too.
Step 3: Protect Your Feet, Head, and Neck
Once you’re in your shelter location, your next priority is protecting yourself from flying debris and broken glass.
Use what you have:
- A helmet (bike, sports, or hard hat)
- A mattress, thick blanket, or couch cushions
- A heavy coat or sleeping bag
- Sturdy shoes (to walk through debris afterward)
Closed-toe shoes that lace up are best. They’ll protect your feet and stay on better if you need to run. Make it a habit for each family member to keep a pair of these shoes by the bedside in case a tornado alert sounds in the middle of the night.
Step 4: Stay Until the All-Clear
Remain in your shelter location until the danger has clearly passed. Even if it seems the tornado has passed or dissipated, take your time. Sometimes tornadoes come in clusters, so there could be additional dangers. Afterward, move carefully. Watch for broken glass, downed power lines, gas smells, and unstable structures.
If you have injuries or damage, use your phone or radio to get updates and instructions from local authorities.
Tornado Survival in Special Situations
Tornado warnings don’t always happen when you’re safely at home. I wish they did! Knowing what to do in less-than-ideal situations can help you react quickly and reduce your risk of injury.
If You Are in a Car
You’ve seen the wild videos from storm-chasers, and maybe you’ve been tempted to get out there yourself, but being in a vehicle during a tornado is one of the most dangerous places you can be. Cars can be lifted, rolled, or struck by debris. If possible, leave your vehicle and get to a sturdy building immediately.
If you cannot reach a building:
- Do not try to outrun a tornado unless you are certain you can escape its path.
- Avoid stopping under bridges or overpasses.
- Look for a low-lying area such as a ditch or depression.
- Lie as flat as possible and protect your head and neck.
If time allows, park safely out of traffic before leaving your vehicle. Dust, debris, and dark skies create conditions for other drivers to not see clearly, and you don’t want to survive the tornado only to be hit by a car.
Your first choice should always be a sturdy building or storm shelter.
If You Are in an Apartment
Apartment dwellers should follow the same basic rules as homeowners. Get to the lowest level and move to the most interior location possible.
If you live on an upper floor:
- Go to the first floor if possible.
- Use interior hallways whenever allowed.
- Avoid stairwells with windows.
- Stay away from exterior doors.
If your building has a designated storm shelter, learn its location before severe weather threatens. The apartment complex gym or club house might provide decent shelter. Talk with your apartment manager about tornado warning procedures and safe shelter areas in the building.
If you cannot reach the lowest floor in time, move to the most interior room available and protect yourself as best as possible, and if there’s plenty of time, drive to a location you know to be much safer.
If You Are Outside
Being outside during a tornado is extremely dangerous because you are fully exposed to high winds and flying debris.
If a sturdy building is nearby, get inside immediately.
If no building is available:
- Move to the lowest ground you can find, such as a ditch or depression.
- Lie flat and protect your head and neck.
- Stay away from trees and power lines.
- Watch for rising water in low areas.
Open areas without trees or structures are safer than areas where debris can fall or be blown toward you.
Tornado Survival Kits
There are two types of kits you should assemble. One you keep in your tornado safe area and one that’s ready to grab and go when a tornado warning sounds. Both kits are multi-purpose — ready for anything from a power outage to a hurricane. There’s no reason to go to any expense for your kits.
Your safe room kit can be as simple as a bucket and/or bins with tight-fitting lids that hold water bottles, lanterns or flashlights, charged power banks with cords, some packets of hard candies or trail mix, baby wipes (for faces, hands, and yes, maybe bottoms!), a First Aid kit, as mentioned, and supplies or medications for babies, elderly loved ones, or anyone with special needs. Add a few items for comfort, like blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, and protective clothing, such as boots, helmets, and jackets.
A packed backpack, ready to go, is your basic Bug Out Bag or Emergency Kit. Along with the supplies mentioned above, it might include cash, your Grab-and-Go binder documents on a thumb drive, and an extra set or two of contacts or glasses. Think about what you might need if you suddenly have to leave your home and might not be back for several hours or days.
Common Tornado Myths That Could Get You Killed
During major emergencies, misinformation spreads quickly. Some tornado advice has been repeated for decades, even though it can increase your risk of injury or death. Knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do.
Myth: Open the Windows to Equalize Pressure
This is one of the most persistent tornado myths.
Opening windows does not prevent damage. Instead, it allows strong winds and debris to enter your home more easily. Trying to open windows during a tornado warning also wastes valuable time that should be spent getting to shelter.
Your focus should be on reaching a safe location and not adjusting windows.
Myth: The Southwest Corner of the House Is Always Safest
I wish there was a “magical corner” where safety was guaranteed, but alas, that’s not the case.
Tornadoes can change direction quickly, and wind patterns vary from storm to storm. The safest location is determined by structure and not compass direction.
An interior room on the lowest level, away from windows, is safer than any specific corner of an exterior room.
Myth: Hiding Under an Overpass Is Safe
Again, I wish tornado safety was as easy as this, and it’s been depicted in so many movies you think that it must be true!
Unfortunately, the data doesn’t bear this out. Stopping under a highway overpass during a tornado is extremely dangerous.
Wind speeds can increase in these areas due to the tunnel effect, and debris can be funneled directly toward you. Overpasses also leave you exposed and vulnerable.
If you are in a vehicle and cannot reach a building, seek a low-lying area away from traffic instead.
Myth: You Can Always Outrun a Tornado
Again, TV and movies love to perpetuate this myth!
Tornadoes can change speed and direction rapidly. Traffic congestion, debris, and limited visibility make escape unpredictable. Unless you are certain you can move safely out of the storm’s path, your best option is to take shelter immediately in a sturdy building.
Frequently Asked Questions
Emergency responders search damaged areas carefully, listening and looking for signs of survivors.
You can improve your chances of being found by:
Keeping a whistle in your shelter kit
Tapping on pipes or solid surfaces
Shouting only when you hear rescuers nearby
Keeping your phone charged if possible
A whistle is especially helpful because it requires less energy than yelling and can carry farther through debris.
This is one of those scenarios we all fear because there is no easy answer. If you’re facing an active tornado, there’s only so much you can do because you can’t be exactly sure in which direction it will move.
Keep an eye on the tornado and its directionality. Drive or run as fast as possible (and as safely!) in the opposite direction. Not all buildings are safe shelters, but if you are near one that has few windows and is made of concrete or brick construction, chances are it will be safe shelter — certainly better than being out in the open.
If there are no other options, find the lowest-lying area, such as a ditch or culvert, cover your head and eyes with clothing or whatever is handy and hunker down.
One of the very best is updates from a local news channel. If you’re in your car, immediately find a news station to keep you updated. A few signs to watch for:
Dark, greenish, or orange-colored sky
Large, dark, low-lying clouds (often rotating)
Hail or heavy rain followed by sudden calm or silence
Loud, continuous roar or rumble (similar to a freight train)
Frequent, intense lightning
Debris or dust clouds swirling near the ground
A visible funnel cloud
A bathtub can be a good shelter location if the bathroom is an interior room on the lowest level of the home. The sides of the tub provide a low profile and some structural protection from flying debris.
However, a bathtub is only as safe as the room it’s in.
Avoid bathrooms with exterior walls or large windows. If the tub is enclosed with glass shower doors, position yourself away from the glass and use blankets, cushions, or a mattress for added protection.
Yes. Many people safely survive tornadoes without a basement by sheltering in a small interior room on the lowest level of their home. Bathrooms, closets, interior hallways, and under-stair areas often provide good protection.
The key is to put as many walls as possible between you and the outside, stay away from windows, and protect your head and neck from flying debris. Planning your shelter location ahead of time greatly increases your safety during a tornado warning.
No. This is outdated and potentially dangerous information. Opening windows during a tornado does not reduce damage and can actually make conditions worse by allowing wind and debris into your home.
It also wastes valuable time that should be spent getting to your shelter location. When a tornado warning is issued, your priority should be moving quickly to the safest place in your home — not adjusting windows.
The safest place in a house during a tornado is a basement, storm shelter, or FEMA-rated safe room. If those are not available, choose a small interior room on the lowest level of the home, away from windows and exterior walls.
Bathrooms, closets, interior hallways, and under-stair spaces are often good options because they are small and surrounded by interior walls. Once inside, get low and protect your head and neck from flying debris.
A hallway can be a safe option if it is located on the lowest level of the home and away from windows and exterior walls. Interior hallways near the center of the house are generally safer than rooms along the outside of the structure.
For added protection, get low to the ground and position yourself in a corner where two interior walls meet. Protect your head and neck with blankets, cushions, or a helmet if available.
As with any shelter location, the goal is to put as many walls as possible between you and the outside.
More About Severe Weather Safety
- Severe Weather Preparedness: 7 Things Every Family Should Do Before Storm Season
- Is Your Family Prepared for Nighttime Tornadoes
- How To Prepare For A Long-Term Power Outage
- 8 Emergency Preparedness Drills to Do With Your Kids
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Final Thoughts
There is no location that can guarantee your safety during a tornado. What you can do is stack the deck in your favor by choosing the safest location possible, staying in close contact with weather and news sources, and having a plan in place from the moment you get a tornado watch and/or warning.
The reality of tornadoes, especially the stronger EF-4 and EF-5 varieties, is that anything above ground that is not a specific tornado shelter is unlikely to survive a direct hit. That said, the statistical chance of getting a direct hit by an EF-4 or -5 is very low. You are more likely to encounter a survivable, less destructive tornado.
The difference between walking away from it and suffering an injury or death can be as simple as choosing the safest location available to weather the storm.
QUESTION: How would a hemispherical shape of building like an IGLOO survive a tornado? It has no sharp corners to cause the swirling wind to impose powerful mechanical forces on to the structure. Its ‘roof’ is aerodynamic relative to the swirl of the wind, compared to a large flat roof (like a shopping mall).
There is a new construction technique that involves a huge inflatable balloon that is used to form the concrete roof . . . no roofing tiles to get pulled off . . . . fiber reinforcement in the concrete very possible.
Perhaps municipal building codes may be the reason as to why igloo shaped buildings are not being build in tornado prone locations. Construction of such buildings would cut into the earnings of companies that manufacture and sell roofing materials.
There is a mobile home park in my area that has a large dome-shaped concrete building that was built to be a tornado shelter for the resident. The owner did have to pay a portion of the cost, but it was offset by government grants.
Not an expert. Having said that – hopefully this is a windowless installation, as the windows would be compromised and the flying debris from a tornado would hurt or kill the residents, within the safe house.
Let us know how this worked out for your friend, as a few years have passed us by, since your last post.
I survived ‘toronadic’ winds gusts due to an extreme thunderstorm event.
I was in a military pup tent, on a hill top. There were multiple old growth tree blow down. I was fortunate that I wasn’t in the path of the downed trees. Those that left their shelters, prematurely, were struck by lightning. And survived. No fatalities. Talk about the luck of physics!
You’re thinking three steps ahead! I’m obsessed with geodesic shapes and how structurally superior they are not just to wind storm damage, but also earthquake proof. If built well on a solid foundation of course. It’s a conspiracy… makes sense to me. It’s like, why fund a proxy war? To go and rebuild after, making one heck of a profit. Why build crappy box-shaped homes that easily get destroyed by various forms of natural disasters? Because then homedepot and all the contractors/subs go out of business. Planned obsolescence is a disease field by greed and it festers at the very core of human society. Profit is better than permanence, in the eyes of these greedy/narcissistic beholders who basically rule over all of us. Maybe you have to buy the land and build the structures. Do it grassroots style.
I was reading about this couple, a few years ago, who lived in a mobile home on the in-laws property. During a tornado warning, they went to stay in the in-law’s brick home. The brick home took a direct hit by the tornado and was demolished. The mobile home was untouched. I live in a mobile home. I choose to stay put, with my pets and everythin else. If they “go”, I might as well go too. I’ll man the fort, and if I croak, at least it won’t be because i ran like a scared mouse and abandoned my responsibilities!
I understand your sentiment.
Obviously it’s a personal choice, but trusting in luck rather than preparing doesn’t seem prudent. Sure, I play the lottery, but I also prep like crazy. Hedge your bets and have a plan just in case, because a mobile home probably won’t survive even a near miss.
Sir, with all do respect, your mobile home stayed intact because it didnt get a direct hit like the house did if it had it undoubtably would have been demolished even more. So my thought is that you have to have a little bit of common sense and think of the lives of your pets and not of the moral of the story that youre wanting to take out of the situation because next time You might not be so lucky.
You must be smart enough to know that the brick house took a direct catastrophic hit, and the mobile home did not. Last year 50% of all deaths in tornados were those in Mobil homes. You may want to rethink your strategy.
I just went through a ef 4 couple weeks ago here in ms. this is a great article. To the person talking about staying in a mobile home please do not stay there. Google images of mobile homes after a tornado enough said. Be prepared and use the best survival tool u have your brain
A few years back a large tornado struck a small Texas town. There was an aerial view of a city block of homes…or at least what USED to be a city block of homes. There was NOTHING left of any of them except the concrete slab they had been sitting on. The tornado even ripped up the blacktop where it crossed the street. So, yeh, you MIGHT survive in a mobile home while the home next door is destroyed. And you might also win the lottery that day too. But the fact is, if a tornado of any size makes a direct hit on your home and you DON’T have underground shelter, then they only thing left for you to do is to bend over and….well, YOU know the drill!
I believe in Liberty. If you choose to stay in your mobile home (or any location) it is your prerogative. However, I would never stay in a mobile home during a tornado warning. I have worked too many response and recovery events after tornadoes to be mistaken about what can happen to a mobile home that is hit by a tornado. In the case mentioned by Moleman, the mobile home did not “survive” a tornado, it was, as he said, “untouched.” The tornado simply did not strike at the location and that is why it was not demolished like the house that DID take a direct hit. Had the tornado’s path intersected with the mobile home like it had the brick home, it would have been gone.
Harry… it’s a great question. There is a lot of evidence that shows dome structures do quite well in tornadoes. I believe they are becoming more popular but they are certainly not mainstream. Maybe they should be!
In Florida, the law requires that mobile homes be tied down to the ground. In my mobile home, I rebuilt a walk-in closet in 3/4 inches plywood, ceiling and walls. The safest place to be anywhere in a tornado is laying flat on the ground wherever you are at the time.. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t get sucked in, you get pushed in by the incoming wind. Laying on the floor increases your chances that the wind will just go over you instead of pushing you out of the way to the inside of the funnel. Instruments laid down in front of tornados shows that the atmospheric pressure is almost nil, so the outside pressure is rushing in to fill that void, and if you are in the way, guess where you are going…
The comments above in regards to staying in a mobile home are why I include plenty of pictures during the storm safety lesson. The pic of a small satellite dish standing untouched with mobile home remnants fluttering in the trees in the background always gets their attention!
mobile homes can be dangerous if not properly tied down to the ground during high wind and tornados, imaging getting hit by a flying mobile home…dang…
In a big enough tornado, no tie-down ever made is going to hold a mobile home in place!
Community shelters rarely allow you to bring your pets. This is what keeps me from going to them. Being in a rural area, and living in a double-wide, the last storm had me under the home in our crawl space. (With the dogs). Not sure if this is actually safer, and I was alone that day, claustrophobic and scared outta my wits. It was a close call, and barely missed us, Thank God!
Yes, that’s why it’s a good idea to check with hotels and other possible shelters before a crisis — do they allow dogs/cats?
I live in a mobile home and no matter the research my husband refuses to believe that we are not safe in our home because of ‘tie downs’, regardless, I know that we are not safe inside but I have a question, for anyone who may have answer… Our mobile home is on a permanent foundation (brick and cinder blocks) and there is a pretty large crawl space underneath but not large enough to be, by definition, a basement; the home is on an incline so one of the four sides doesn’t have an exterior wall, so to speak, it is a mud embankment all the way to the other end of the house where it meets the floor of the home, the other three walls. Now that I have finished my lengthy description, is this a safe place to be during a tornado? I live in Tennessee, so we don’t see very many but I am terrified of them!!! Thank you to anyone that may have helpful answers!
No
Get a small 10′ ecoshell dome. They are proof against EF-5.
https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/images/70975#details
Here’s a fancy one. http://images.monolithic.org/img/2016/07/28/579a51e4d12bc3130b114260/medium/minion-tornado-shelter-ecoshell-dome.jpg
But, you can make them yourself if you want to take the time to learn how.
I live in a duplex, all bathrooms and closets sets off the exterior walls. I have a small place going into the bedroom but it’s where the ac is located it’s Inclosed by a wall and door, it’s the only place that’s small and has the most walls in between. Would me sliding down into the corner right there be a safe place! I can’t believe whoever built this didn’t take tornadoes into consideration
Useful article, but unfortunately the article title is misleading, “Tornado Survival: No shelter, No basement, No problem.” Having lived almost all my 6 decades in tornado alley, the meteorologists have drilled it into us that, indeed, an EF5 IS a problem and the only way to possibly survive one is underground. In recent memory, Jarrell, TX and Moore, OK, have proven the truth of this.
You probably won’t survive a mobile home hit in a tornado. Lometa, TX, Evant, TX, practically had a bulls-eye on the mobile home parks. Why chance it?
Our own farmhouse is tight, sturdy, a recently upgraded 100 year old, 100% rock house with not one square foot of flimsy sheetrock. It’s all shiplap, cedar or pine. But, you better believe we are heading for the underground storm shelter when our weather alert goes off. Those pioneers were onto something.
The other farmers in the area know who has an old timey storm shelter. Find yourself a safe place so you can live. And get a helmet.
I have witnessed several tornadoes in my life, all of them through the window of a moving vehicle, That is where I will stay everytime. The last time, a panicked meteorologist was screaming,”get out of your cars and into the ditch”. The ditch had two feet of water with hail floating on the top. Freeze while drowning, or keep driving, simple choice
It’s great that you’ve mentioned how one should be wearing closed-toe shoes when there is a tornado, as those stay on the feet if ever there is a need to run. My wife and I live in an area that is in the path of most tornadoes. Knowing this, we’ll know what is one of the things that we should have in our tornado shelter.
always take your red slippers
– You could do worse than to Google “Terrible Tuesday” or April 10th, 1979, Wichita Falls, Texas. I was there as a soldier, working in the Emergency Room at Fort Sill, Oklahoma when it was reported that we had three supercells coming down the Red River Valley. The first report was out of Vernon, Texas, where the final count was that 9 people had died in less than five minutes. About half-an-hour later, we had a report that a nursing home in downtown Lawton, Oklahoma, about 5 minutes from us, had lost its roof to a tornado.
We responded with 3 of our four ambulances. As one of the senior responders, i took our one functioning FM walkie-talkie, or ‘brick’ along on the ambulance i was on. Altogether, I think we finally had about 17 ambulances on the site. I ended up sending my driver and ambulance with several of the ‘walking wounded’ and one of the nursing staff from the nursing home back to the E.R. for shelter. I was in the building helping 3-4 of the home staff collect medical records and medications, throwing them in plastic bags and then into wheelchairs to protect them from the rain.
We were already standing in ankle deep water when it began to hail, about marble sized, and it got so noisy we were literally standing with our ear about 4 inches from the other’s mouth and shouting to communicate. It was like there was a jet engine in the next room.
A few moments later, the noise stopped and the sun began to break through. I was walking a loaded wheelchair through the door when I heard my radio crackle with my call-sign. I picked up the radio and responded, only to be met with, “Where the (deleted) are you?” “At the scene,” I responded. Understand, this is a military radio, but this was not military radio protocol. “You can’t be, it’s not there!” I turned to look, and was met with all but about the 20 or thirty feet of the building we had been working in was swept down to the bare concrete pad. There was not a second reported tornado in Lawton, but a large brick building was simply gone. It probably passed within fifteen feet of where I was standing.
My wife had been brought to the hospital by a friend, the head of the ambulance section, as she was very pregnant with our oldest daughter. I had been reported missing and presumed dead, with her about fifteen feet away in the same break room where our radios were set up.
Shortly after that an F-4 tornado hit Wichita Falls. The final count, I believe, was 63 dead from the one storm. Two of those were in Lawton; one of those was my wife’s boss’es husband. They were leaving their mobile home for their car. He stopped to call the little dog, while she was carrying something else to the car. That was the last she ever saw him. His body was found stripped by the storm and wrapped in the tin siding from the mobile home, stuck high up in a tree. The dog was also gone.
I’m sorry, I just can’t agree with your title, “No shelter, No Basement, No Problem.
– Papa S.
Remember with pets, you MUST register a microchip! I don’t want anyone losing a pet because the chip isn’t registered and can’t be tracked to the owner.
So…my house is built on an open floor plan from 1989. It is a sturdy, brick home but there isn’t a room or even a closet big enough for us that doesn’t either have an outside wall or windows/skylights. But, the master bedroom is shaped like Utah with the panhandle angled to the inside of the house. That corner is probably the most central point in the home. We can call that the southwest corner. There is a window in the northeast corner and door in the northwest corner and obviously that northern wall is an outside wall. All of that considered, I still think this southwest corner is our best bet. Pile up into the corner and put our king mattress behind us toward the rest of the room. Any thoughts?
Without seeing the actual space, I agree that your southwest corner is the best bet with 3 walls surrounding a relatively small space.
Is a crawlspace any safer than an interior closet? I can easily imagine being trapped under debris, but then I’ve seen footage of many houses tornados left behind with nothing left BUT the crawl space, so we’ve debated this since we have no basement. Not in a big tornado area, but we’ve seen many more large outbreaks in recent years, so it’s scary. Tried to find a local supplier for a safe or shelter but not much to be found.
I wish articles like this offered advise on what to do when you live in a mobile home and do not have the option of driving to a safe place during a tornado emergency. I live in a mobile home and am disabled. I don’t drive, and, being home-bound, I have no friends . There are a lot of other elderly and disabled people who live in this mobile home park who are in the same situation. So where’s the safest place to go in a situation like this? Should a person shelter in a bathtub? Should they hire someone to dig a small ditch in their yard? I have considered purchasing an oblong metal stock tank, turning it on its side and anchoring it into the ground. Would this be a safer place to shelter than in a mobile home? Is it likely the anchors would keep the stock tank from being picked up by high winds? I have looked at pictures of mobile homes hit by tornadoes, and the pictures are sobering: splintered debris when even things like plastic laundry baskets and cardboard boxes have survived intact. There’s no way a person is safe staying in a mobile home when a cardboard box holds up better than the mobile home does.
Hi Meghan. The reason not a lot of solutions are offered for the scenario you describe is because no one can change the laws of physics and the power of nature. I don’t know where you live, but perhaps if as many people as possible in your mobile home park got together to discuss this, you all could come up with solutions. The only shelter that would be safe would be an underground shelter if you aren’t able to get transportation to another safe place.
No, the reason is because the world often cares not for the elderly and the disabled, and does not consider their survival enough. There isn’t even consistent protocol for the disabled in the event of a house fire, let alone a tornado. I think admitting this is part of a larger issue instead of a cold “laws of physics and nature” response was in order… I too think they should get together, but also with police and fire fighters who could possibly assist.
And make sure to advocate and think of both the elderly and the disabled (and those who fall into both categories too).
Oh, I agree they could possibly do some studies, funding on the federal level for those that have had to buy or rent Mobile homes, past statistics, analysis and create plans for every place. We have had all kinda tornadoes here, yet no shelter. Most people live in mobile homes or manufactured houses that are built with mobile home materials. Even churches. No one opens up shelter here. It’s ridiculous there is no safe place for a lot of families and disabled, elderly communities. This needs to be addressed federally someday.
In the case of the best-case scenario in a mobile home. Most likely, the hall with mattresses is still the top answer you get. The bathtub with a mattress or blankets. Almost always roofs rip first.
Our double-wide sustained the hurricane last year while my sisters didn’t. I think it had more to do with the way the winds blew. It shifted a bit. We leave when we can, but it is definitely not feasible every storm. We have had 4 storms this month once a week. Tornadoes near every time. We got three cats, three dogs, my oldest is 9 mo pregnant, her man, plus my other two and fiancee. Yeah, a hotel is not an option every time. I myself have really bad PTSD so I definitely want to be in a safe motel every time. I actually really want to be underground. Through study groups and asking questions I found out a few towns know of bunkers but cities keep them for the elite few.
I plan on trying to learn as much as possible about an underground shelter and getting one big enough for my family. Or we may have to build it ourselves, but ultimately it’s a need the government could address and most likely these bunkers would open to more people, grants or loans could be allowed for companies to build them, homeowners could get more help. Many times people literally buy from Oklahoma storm shelter builders because they trust them knowing they have lived through several EF5. It’s something all survivalist should be talking about. Every year the weather seems more unstable, and unthinkable Michael just happened in Georgia 2018.
Dorian basically wiped the Bahamas off the map, some places need to be well above ground, but others underground. I just really hope that when I am gone if my home goes to at least my children and their children, it will be safe. #Advocatebynature
We have a vacation trailer in a mobile home park that got hit by a tornado a few years ago, so we can actually see the damage. Most of it was from trees smashing through the trailers rather than homes getting blown away. So in a “survivable” tornado (assuming a bad one we are screwed no matter what), trees seems to be the biggest threat. I couldn’t really tell from the photos how decks hold up against trees, though. So my question is we are on a bit of a hill that goes down to a lake with a big deck over the decline. We don’t have any ditches, and the lake is a low spot but surrounded by trees so there’s not really anything safe outside of the trailer. Is under the deck a good spot, or will we just get squashed by a tree no matter where we go?
This has been a concern of mine for some time now. I live in a fairly large mobile home park in Van Buren County, Michigan. It does not have a shelter. Nor does the Village of Mattawan; in fact there are NO community shelters in the entire county (at least none set up in advance), according to the Van Buren County Office of Emergency Preparedness. Their advice, get into the bathtub and pull a mattress over you. IN A MOBILE HOME!!!! I brought this up at the Mattawan Village Council. I told them, if a tornado hits the park where I live there will be fatalities. They said basically it is up to the park to provide shelter. Well, guess what, the park isn’t about to. Meanwhile the Police Chief says, “I don’t want people out driving around during a tornado.” So stay home, he says, and follow the OEP’s advice. Right.
Meanwhile many mobile home parks are being bought up by aggressive investors who see them as a way to make big money without having to spend a whole lot. Some of these parks do not have on-site managers. Many are run by absentee owners who have only a PO box for contact information. These owners or owner comglomerates have been jacking up rents and adding fees upon fees. They are NOT about to spring for tornado shelters unless the law makes them, and the law is not about to make them. We who live in these parks have a hard enough fight on our hands trying to curb the excesses of these predatory owners. They know they can do this because once you are in, especially if you are on a fixed income, it can be very difficult to leave, and there are mobile home park investing sites that actually tell would-be investors that this is why investing in mobile home parks is a good investment. You have a captive population. Telling people to move is like the OEP saying “get in your bathtub and pull a mattress over you” to survive a tornado in a mobile home. A lot of help.
I think part of the problem is that we have made single-family home ownership into an idol and everything caters around that model and that model only. If you live in an apartment or worse yet a mobile home park, it sucks to be you.
send these TORNADO Survival Comments below to Helen Juan, please …
I’ve lived in tornado alley all my life. We have no basement or storm shelter. Regarding public community FEMA shelters, at least where I live, you aren’t allowed in unless it’s after school and a tornado warning has officially been issued. Couple of times people were waiting at the closed shelter during a tornado warning, waiting for someone to open the doors. So, we try to find a concrete parking garage ( even better if its’ underground) and wait out the severe weather. Which has been very hard lately because we’ve had multiple days of severe weather in the last 2 months. We don’t feel safe in our house. Ideally, I think a Monolithic dome would be the best protection from severe storms, but who can afford them nowadays. SCIP ( Structural Concrete Insulated Panel) construction might be a slightly more affordable option for disaster resilient type homes. We want a storm shelter, but we would rather have a home that IS our storm shelter. We can’t afford both, so we’re hoping and praying that very soon we can sell our house and get started having a small SCIP home built. SCIP construction should have far fewer zoning issues because SCIP homes can look just like conventional homes. It’s really ridiculous because domes offer superior wind resistance because of their shape, but try putting a dome home in a residential area and you’ll have problems. And how stupid is that. Literally, some people are more concerned about aesthetically pleasing architecture rather than architecture that can literally, save people’s lives.