What Corner Of The House Do You Go To In A Tornado?

Tornados can cause complete devastation in populated areas with buildings ripped apart, and cars tossed like toys. These forces of nature can also happen anywhere at any time of the year, and their unpredictability is jarring. It is especially true in the so-called Tornado Alley in the United States. 

What corner of the house do you go to in a tornado? You should seek an underground shelter, such as a basement or storm cellar.

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But there are cases when an underground shelter isn’t available, or you have no time to get to it. Keep on reading so you will know your other safe options.

Take Shelter Underground

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the interior part of a basement is the safest place to be during a tornado. You should then run to it as fast as possible and wait for the tornado to pass.

But being safe in your basement isn’t just about being in it! You have to adopt safety precautions to increase your chance of survival, even get out of it unscathed. 

• Give yourself enough time to run from wherever you are in the house to your basement. You shouldn’t wait until the tornado is near before getting to a secure place.


• Fasten the door securely before finding the safest corner in the basement. The more barrier between you and the tornado, the better for your survival.


• Stay away as far as possible from the windows and door of your basement.


• Get under a stairwell or a sturdy piece of furniture as extra protection against the debris. But don’t seek shelter in places where heavy furniture and appliances are placed on the floor above.


• Protect yourself with soft yet thick coverings like blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags on your body. Wear a helmet, too, as a shield for your face and head. Even small flying debris can cause severe injuries due to their high speed and impact. 

If you have an exterior storm cellar, you can also take shelter in it. Be sure to run to it as soon as you hear the tornado alarm. Otherwise, you can be exposed to flying debris as well as strong winds, rain, and lightning on your run. 

Take Shelter In Another Safe Place

If your house doesn’t have a basement or a storm cellar, you can run to one of these reasonably safe corners.

First, an interior bathroom without windows and outside walls. The fewer entry points for the wind to blow in, the better for your safety. You may want to lie down inside the bathtub and place an extra covering on your body, such as a mattress or towels.

Second, a small interior closet may also become a temporary shelter. Be sure that it’s as deep inside your house as possible, so there are more barriers. Again, it shouldn’t have windows, doors, and exterior walls, and don’t forget to close its door securely.

Third, an interior hallway as far inside the house as possible can also do in a pinch. Again, it should have no windows, doors, and exterior walls. If there’s an interior stairwell near it, then you can hide under it, too. 

Conclusion

We can’t overemphasize that there isn’t an absolutely safe and secure place in a house during a tornado. But there are corners of your home that can become effective shelters. The trick is in planning where you will seek shelter and reinforcing it.