Tupelo, what do you do during tornado warnings with no basements (Madison: mattress, mobile home)

[Oh-Happy-Day]

My husband has applied for a job in Shannon MS and I know this is an area with possible tornadoes. I also noticed most of the homes do not have basements or storm shelters. What do you do during tornado warnings? We are from the west coast and do not experience turbulent weather. Thanks

[viverlibre]

Most people just ignore warnings. Radar now is pretty good at predecting tornados and their paths.

If you're at home you will likely be watching local coverage of the storm and you will usually have ample warning. If a tornado is heading your way, get in an interior space with strong walls around (hall or bathroom). Alternatively, you can get in a tub and pull a small mattress or other covering to protect your head. The chances of a tornado acting hitting yours house is very small, hence most homes are built without any protection, but if you ate directly in the path, dead you will likely be.

[Oh-Happy-Day]

Wow! Well then I hope my house is never in the direct path, since dead I'll be. So comforting to know.

[suzy_q2010]

Avoid living in a mobile home.

[GrandviewGloria]

You can purchase a cast-concrete tornado shelter, which can be plopped-down in your back yard.

In new construction, some people build tornado-proof safe rooms.

Around 1970, fiberglass bathtubs began to appear. But if you're lucky enough to have a built-in cast-iron enameled tub - particularly if the bathroom is in the middle of the house, and is relatively free of glass that can cut you - then that's the place to be.

We all grew up hearing about daddies wrapping mattresses around their families, huddled in their bathtubs (flying debris is a big hazard). Much of the time, that works. The 'mode and the tub are frequently all that's still attached to the slab, when tornadoes blow away whole houses.

In iffy weather, don socks that won't blow off. underwear that won't blow off easily, and shoes that are not likely to come off (high-top tennies, laced tightly, if there are no lace-up boots). You don't want to risk having to walk over nails and broken glass in bare feet. We kept our bicycle helmets within grabbing range, if there was a tornado watch, when we lived in Mississippi, and practiced grabbing the duvets off the beds, and rushing toward the bathtubs (except at our last house, in Madison, which has a safe room - one reason the place sold for top-Dollar, even during the Bush-Obama Depression).

And something to remember is that when the barometric pressure has dropped suddenly, you won't be able to think clearly. So, you really need to plan and practice.

[Rock Climber]

Originally Posted by Oh-Happy-Day

Wow! Well then I hope my house is never in the direct path, since dead I'll be. So comforting to know.

Tornado fears seem overblown to most of us who live in the middle of the country because we know how small the chance is that you'll get hit by one. Notice in any town how many homes there are standing which are 100+ years old and realize that those homes are standing because they've never been hit.

If you are freaked out by the idea of storms, invest in a shelter.

The odds of dying from a tornado are extremely small. It is much more likely you'll choke to death at a restaurant or die from a slip in your bathtub.

[Oh-Happy-Day]

I know how silly l must sound to you veteran central country folks. I suppose I could say the same about people who move to California and fear earthquakes I suppose. But I do know earthquakes occur far less frequently than tornadoes. I mean every spring you can bet your bottom dollar that a tornado will hit somewhere in Mississippi. Now I suppose it is like rolling dice as to who will be the victims. I just worry about calming my 5 kids who are ages 3 to 10. And how do you cram 6 people or 7 if hubby is home from work in a bath tub. Sounds like I will have to just huddle and pray to my Lord Jesus for safety. My husband has an interview Wednesday for Indiana location but has also applied to Mississippi. We like things about both Locations.

[An Einnseanair]

The odds of being in a house that is impacted by a tornado are actually not that low. Fujita Tornado Damage Scale

I haven't personally had that experience, but my wife and several relatives and friends have. Anything from having a detached garage ripped loose to having the entire house shifted a few feet off the foundation. Many hundreds of EF0 and EF1 hit thousands of houses every year with little to no damage (maybe a few missing shingles or broken windows). EF2 tornadoes cause more damage, but you will survive unless you do something stupid, and they are more rare.

An EF3 will cause massive damage to most wood houses, but sheltering in an interior room will save you. A friend's house was hit by a strong EF2 or light EF3 when I was a kid. It ripped the roof completely off the house and carried it a quarter mile away, but caused no injuries. Another friend's house was hit by an EF3 just a few years ago. It completely ripped the entire second floor off the house... and strangely left much of the upstairs furniture intact and sitting on the floor and exposed. The first floor and basement were untouched.

The odds of being hit by a tornado so large it is capable of decimating a house are extremely low because they are extremely rare. Only a few EF4s and EF5s per year. An EF4 hit not far from where I live in 2011. The only thing left of one house was the slab and part of the stairs... and the owners, because they had sheltered in the stairs.

So yeah... if you are worried, you can buy a fiberglass shelter you can bury in your yard. Or if you are willing to put up with the hassle, it is possible to "armor" an interior closet with anchors, plywood, and metal tie straps sufficiently to withstand all but the strongest EF5. It's possible to design an above-ground shelter even for an EF5 (I've done it), but you'll likely have to start with new-build construction.

[Dd714]

You go to an enclosed room without windows in the center of the house, usually a bathroom or closet. Try to put walls between you and the outside. If you can get under a sturdy table that helps.
You might survive a near hit, but of course if it hits your house you may be dead no matter where you are in the house. There is no guaranteed safety anywhere.

[gemniii]

I've a house in Fulton. For some reason (topography, vegatation?) tornadoes rarely cross the river.

Map is here:Tornado History Project: Mississippi

With school age children I'd be more concerned with the schools.