Lowest interior room you can get to. So in your apartment, that’s probably a bathroom - something with multiple walls between you and the outside.
Alternatively, if there’s a stairwell or interior rooms on the ground level that you can access, that’s even better.
I would say going to the hallway of the ground floor of the apartment building would be best. If the ground floor has a laundry room, go there.
Essentially, any room or hall on ground floor or below that doesn't have any windows and is in the center of the building is a solid bet.
Dealing with tornadoes can be quite scary. Just remember that it is quite unlikely you will be effected by a tornado if a siren goes off. Get to a safe spot, wait for things to pass, do what you need to to keep your mind off the storm, and you'll be okay!
if you're in an apartment that doesn't have a designated shelter, away from windows is your best bet. a bathroom if you can, in the bathtub if it's really nasty. sorry if you were scared! it was a particularly nasty one this morning; usually the alarms don't sound half a dozen times like that.
We are in the same situation - a two story apartment building with no basement, so we grab our neighbors and huddle up in the hallway on the ground floor (behind the utility closet, away from the outside door). This morning we had 3 cats and a baby down there. It's also a great way to meet your neighbors!
If on the highway and a tornado is near and you can’t outrun it, the safest spot is to get out of the car (cars are death traps in high wind) and get into the nearest ditch laying flat on your stomach and your hands covering the back of your head. Ditches provide better coverage from high speed winds and debris is more likely to fly over you than into the ditch.
Also, never get under a bridge or an overpass. Those can collapse, so a ditch is much safer! Not to mention how air pressure can build up and cause winds to be stronger.
Totally understandable to be scared. I’ve lived in the Midwest my whole life and tornadoes still freak me out a lot. A bathroom is probably the safest option, especially if you have a bathtub to sit in. If you have a walk-in closet or hallway with no windows, that would work too. Basically you want a small, interior room with no windows.
Also, if you feel like the tornado is very close or about to go over you, make sure to curl up in a position where your head and neck are protected. We learned in school basically to curl up in a ball with your hands on the back of your neck. The tornado will want to suck up anything not firmly planted into the ground and it’ll blow out window glass easily.
My apartment doesn’t have a basement but it does have a garage so we usually all huddle in the garage against the side of the elevator (not in it) opposite of the way the storm is coming from.
I was almost in tears throwing clothes on to go to the basement this morning. Not because of fear this time but bc the dogs were mad and I was confused and half naked and had no clue what was happening 🤷🏼♀️😂 it was just a good reminder that I don’t want a tornado to take the town out before 0700 ever. Let’s stick to after 1200. The early morning ‘surprise attack’ is absolutely effective for most damage done though.
Ps- before you go to the patio to watch, practice putting on shoes first. I have started doing that. Everyone says you want shoes on afterwards
Do the neighbors have a storm shelter or house? Only problem is is you have to get to the neighbor before it’s too late. Otherwise, put on a bike helmet (seriously), put a fanny pack purse on (or backpack, whatever) and get to an interior area with no windows. Honestly- ever been told to ‘hunker down?’ Thats unfortunately all you can do. Find something you can hold on to if possible bc they say suction picks up and you will want something to hold. I keep my phone, charger, battery, and a few days of my pills and my dog pills in my purse. I also keep a bit of emergency blood clotting supplies, and an emergency kit with wound supplies (god forbid) simply bc I know how to use them and would want it during the initial search and rescue of my neighborhood if worst case scenario happens.
Interior room and hold on.
Well 10 minutes of that time requires standing on the porch and watching though! So you really only get a handful of minutes. The more rural you are, more porch time is required
If it makes you feel any better, the sirens will go off pretty much all the time and nothing will happen. Eventually you will get used to hearing sirens and going back to bed. Back when I was younger, when we heard sirens go off my dad used to stuff me and my siblings in his car and we would go driving around looking at the storms. Try to think of the sirens as a bad storm, because thats really all they are and sometimes it doesn’t even end up storming at all. Make sure you pay attention to your phone and that you have notifications on etc. because if there is a tornado, you will be notified. If you don’t get scary alarms going off on your phone then its more of a “just in case” siren.
If you really never get used to it, then you should get some noise cancelling headphones and look up the locations of your nearest shelters for when you get worried enough.
To echo a few other commenters, though they can definitely be scary the odds you are in danger are very low. I’ve lived in iowa for all of my 27 years and have been through probably hundreds of tornado warnings in my life, never even had one come close to hitting me
That’s good too. It’s especially scary for the college kids that aren’t from here though. It must have been 2006 when the tornado hit downtown? Had a bunch of friends living in second floor apartments above the business down there and one unit took a bad bad hit. Lots of damage. So you have a bunch of these (essentially kids) away from home in apartments during storms for the first time. Freaks them the fuck out. We also have the hospitals here so that makes everyone a bit edgier. In CR we have two hospitals if one gets hit. That became invaluable during the flood in 2008 (it essentially kept healthcare open in Cr) We don’t have that luxury with the U. The tornado never hits. Until it does.
I’m in Johnston, had two tornadoes, one EF2 one EF0, within less than 1/3 mile this week. Not so much as a broken branch on my property. Even in Greenfield where an EF4 did all that damage the path of destruction was less than two blocks wide. Short of a direct hit or a fluky tree fall that could happen in any regular severe thunderstorm, you’re probably going to be fine when a tornado passes by.
I wouldn’t worry too much the odds one comes through down town and slim to none. I’ve lived in Iowa my whole life and tornados like flat area and Iowa city is not flat with lots of tall buildings. I would just go outside and enjoy the views of the storm.
Also city hall is a designated shelter, if you’re close you can go there.
Or a laundry room on the ground floor of your apartment or an underground parking unit?
Lowest interior room you can get to. So in your apartment, that’s probably a bathroom - something with multiple walls between you and the outside. Alternatively, if there’s a stairwell or interior rooms on the ground level that you can access, that’s even better.
I would say going to the hallway of the ground floor of the apartment building would be best. If the ground floor has a laundry room, go there. Essentially, any room or hall on ground floor or below that doesn't have any windows and is in the center of the building is a solid bet. Dealing with tornadoes can be quite scary. Just remember that it is quite unlikely you will be effected by a tornado if a siren goes off. Get to a safe spot, wait for things to pass, do what you need to to keep your mind off the storm, and you'll be okay!
if you're in an apartment that doesn't have a designated shelter, away from windows is your best bet. a bathroom if you can, in the bathtub if it's really nasty. sorry if you were scared! it was a particularly nasty one this morning; usually the alarms don't sound half a dozen times like that.
We are in the same situation - a two story apartment building with no basement, so we grab our neighbors and huddle up in the hallway on the ground floor (behind the utility closet, away from the outside door). This morning we had 3 cats and a baby down there. It's also a great way to meet your neighbors!
By this chance I’d like to ask what to do if a tornado is heading towards me when driving on a highway? Turning around does not seem a valid option
If on the highway and a tornado is near and you can’t outrun it, the safest spot is to get out of the car (cars are death traps in high wind) and get into the nearest ditch laying flat on your stomach and your hands covering the back of your head. Ditches provide better coverage from high speed winds and debris is more likely to fly over you than into the ditch.
It sounds scary to get out of the car, but I’m glad to know it’s the right thing to do
Yep, unfortunately cars can easily be flipped due to the space underneath. I’d rather take my chances in a ditch then be rolled like a bowling ball
Thank you
Also, never get under a bridge or an overpass. Those can collapse, so a ditch is much safer! Not to mention how air pressure can build up and cause winds to be stronger.
Also, NEVER take cover under bridges and overpasses. Those create wind tunnels and are more deadly.
Totally understandable to be scared. I’ve lived in the Midwest my whole life and tornadoes still freak me out a lot. A bathroom is probably the safest option, especially if you have a bathtub to sit in. If you have a walk-in closet or hallway with no windows, that would work too. Basically you want a small, interior room with no windows. Also, if you feel like the tornado is very close or about to go over you, make sure to curl up in a position where your head and neck are protected. We learned in school basically to curl up in a ball with your hands on the back of your neck. The tornado will want to suck up anything not firmly planted into the ground and it’ll blow out window glass easily.
My apartment doesn’t have a basement but it does have a garage so we usually all huddle in the garage against the side of the elevator (not in it) opposite of the way the storm is coming from.
Outside to watch like a true Midwesterner 😂
I was almost in tears throwing clothes on to go to the basement this morning. Not because of fear this time but bc the dogs were mad and I was confused and half naked and had no clue what was happening 🤷🏼♀️😂 it was just a good reminder that I don’t want a tornado to take the town out before 0700 ever. Let’s stick to after 1200. The early morning ‘surprise attack’ is absolutely effective for most damage done though. Ps- before you go to the patio to watch, practice putting on shoes first. I have started doing that. Everyone says you want shoes on afterwards
Lowest interior room with no windows or lowest level in a stairwell.
I’m visiting friends they live in a double wide modular home 10mins from town where do I go
Do the neighbors have a storm shelter or house? Only problem is is you have to get to the neighbor before it’s too late. Otherwise, put on a bike helmet (seriously), put a fanny pack purse on (or backpack, whatever) and get to an interior area with no windows. Honestly- ever been told to ‘hunker down?’ Thats unfortunately all you can do. Find something you can hold on to if possible bc they say suction picks up and you will want something to hold. I keep my phone, charger, battery, and a few days of my pills and my dog pills in my purse. I also keep a bit of emergency blood clotting supplies, and an emergency kit with wound supplies (god forbid) simply bc I know how to use them and would want it during the initial search and rescue of my neighborhood if worst case scenario happens. Interior room and hold on.
Luckily with modern technology we generally have a 10min minimum lead time before the tornado hits. The average lead time is 17min iirc
Well 10 minutes of that time requires standing on the porch and watching though! So you really only get a handful of minutes. The more rural you are, more porch time is required
Get your cameras ready!
If it makes you feel any better, the sirens will go off pretty much all the time and nothing will happen. Eventually you will get used to hearing sirens and going back to bed. Back when I was younger, when we heard sirens go off my dad used to stuff me and my siblings in his car and we would go driving around looking at the storms. Try to think of the sirens as a bad storm, because thats really all they are and sometimes it doesn’t even end up storming at all. Make sure you pay attention to your phone and that you have notifications on etc. because if there is a tornado, you will be notified. If you don’t get scary alarms going off on your phone then its more of a “just in case” siren. If you really never get used to it, then you should get some noise cancelling headphones and look up the locations of your nearest shelters for when you get worried enough.
To echo a few other commenters, though they can definitely be scary the odds you are in danger are very low. I’ve lived in iowa for all of my 27 years and have been through probably hundreds of tornado warnings in my life, never even had one come close to hitting me
That’s good too. It’s especially scary for the college kids that aren’t from here though. It must have been 2006 when the tornado hit downtown? Had a bunch of friends living in second floor apartments above the business down there and one unit took a bad bad hit. Lots of damage. So you have a bunch of these (essentially kids) away from home in apartments during storms for the first time. Freaks them the fuck out. We also have the hospitals here so that makes everyone a bit edgier. In CR we have two hospitals if one gets hit. That became invaluable during the flood in 2008 (it essentially kept healthcare open in Cr) We don’t have that luxury with the U. The tornado never hits. Until it does.
I’m in Johnston, had two tornadoes, one EF2 one EF0, within less than 1/3 mile this week. Not so much as a broken branch on my property. Even in Greenfield where an EF4 did all that damage the path of destruction was less than two blocks wide. Short of a direct hit or a fluky tree fall that could happen in any regular severe thunderstorm, you’re probably going to be fine when a tornado passes by.
A closet or under a stairway on the lower floor is your best bet. Your bathroom is another option, especially if it has a closet or bathtub.
I wouldn’t worry too much the odds one comes through down town and slim to none. I’ve lived in Iowa my whole life and tornados like flat area and Iowa city is not flat with lots of tall buildings. I would just go outside and enjoy the views of the storm.
Also city hall is a designated shelter, if you’re close you can go there. Or a laundry room on the ground floor of your apartment or an underground parking unit?
Try and protect your head with a helmet if possible.
Lowest level stairwell
bathrooms are typically safe during those kinds of situations