Hi. Do any of you live in a tornado belt? If you do, what preps?

[nitesite]

I know that twisters can come in one moments notice, and your aftermath might be terrible damage or simply power outages that could last for days.

So how (if you are in a tornado risk area) are you set up to be prepared to last thru those ten minutes and also importantly: the next 3-5 days of no power and shmoo covering everything around you?

I don't want discussion about firearms.\\

What have you planned to do to take care of things?

 

[John A.]

@MikeD you may like this topic.

I have a couple of really small genny's that I can run to keep the fridge and freezers from thawing out.

I have a couple of small power invertors that I keep a few batteries fully charged and ready. While those two invertors aren't large enough for big stuff, I can at least have a few lights.

I have a small solar panel that may help with longer term recharging batteries.

I keep canned food and propane stocked.

Gravity fed water filters. A kerosene heater for heat and to cook with and heat water.

It's good to try to keep essential medicine and other hygeine stuff around. Extra clothes.

Of course all of this is moot if we take a direct hit. And if so, I probably won't need any of it anymore anyway since I'll probably be buried under a house like on the wizard of oz because my shelter is in the basement.

I don't want to say that my house is tornado proof because I believe the titanic sunk because they said it was unsinkable, but my house is double walled. Made of concrete block exterior with regular wood interior walls.

And the basement itself is 12" reinforced concrete walls (mostly) underground. 2x10 floor joists supported with metal and wood joists and even a 10" steel I beam the length of the house. So, I'm not going to say it's tornado proof, but it's about as good as I can get without having a dedicated detached underground shelter.

 

[fellmann]

I know that twisters can come in one moments notice, and your aftermath might be terrible damage or simply power outages that could last for days.

So how (if you are in a tornado risk area) are you set up to be prepared to last thru those ten minutes and also importantly: the next 3-5 days of no power and shmoo covering everything around you?

I don't want discussion about firearms.\\

What have you planned to do to take care of things?

I have also wondered about this.. every time i see news from the US about a tornado.. all these wooden houses.. splintered wood, planks, plywood and drywall EVERYWHERE... -Why don't they build sturdier houses ?

If I, lived in the US, and in a tornado belt.. I would probably live in a concrete fort Like this..

WWII Flak Tower. ( The Flakturm at the Augarten in Vienna )



It will be interesting to hear from all of you Good thread @nitesite

 

[John A.]

fellmann, it's not the wood that ultimately fails. It's the fasteners (nails and screws) that hold it together.

But, I'm glad that I live in my concrete shell wood house. While it could still be wiped off the face of the earth in a matter of seconds, I am still a lot more comfortable in it than our old house. Which was a doublewide trailer and made out of mostly foam, 2x4's and staples.

 

[Ernst]

Nitesite, back in Texas where I grew up years ago many folks had built underground storm shelters. Some doubled as root cellars or storage rooms. My brother, who still lives there, said some folks these days are buying these large plastic septic / water tanks that have two foot diameter access lids and burying them as storm shelters. Guess many of the farm and ranch stores sell them. Said some are large enough to stand up in and people store emergency supplies inside.

Think preparing for the aftermath is like preparing for any disaster or potential chaos. Becoming your own first responder for medical, fire suppression and security is first priority. Then addressing life sustaining things like water, food, generator power, fuel, etc.

Regards

 

[nitesite]

I live in "Tornado Alley" in North Alabama. For at least six months of the year the TV Weather guys, and the voice on the Emergency Weather Radio, says on occasion that we need to seek immediate shelter because Doppler Radar sees a tornado on the ground which is headed our way..

I'm not as worried now. But I am now stocking up in the steel shelter with a small generator with a couple gallons of syn-oil and pure gas in steel cans with six-year shelf life, bottled water, extension cords, LED lights, flashlights, batteries, small amounts of medicine, spare car keys, an axe, dog and cat treats plus a water bowl, granola bars, a winter coat for each of us and some boots and gloves, toilet paper, a couple good knives, some of my CBD Oil, a .22 rifle and some ammo....

All that takes up a very small space, like 18" from the far end and maybe three feet high. That leaves us PLENTY of room inside the storm shelter. The shelter is 4'x8' and I can stand up in it with plenty of headroom to spare. I'm hanging some of the shmoo on the ceiling to save floor space.

I just want to make it thru an hour of real weather risk/danger, and if we come out to find the house is in splinters and completely gone, we can make it for a few days.

 

[nitesite]

When I was a cop, I worked MANY storm-ravaged neighborhoods usually minutes after the storm passed thru.. I saw so many homes that were not just leveled, but they looked like the entire house went thru a wood chipper. Nothing was left except for toothpick and little bits of plastic. And of course the electric power was out.

I worked 12-hour shifts for weeks without a day off, helping people in the area with food and water and basic necessities. My heart broke for them because they had lost EVERYTHING.. If a little girl found her soaking wet teddy-bear she was just thrilled to have something from her normal childhood.

Tornadoes are not to be screwed with. They are unkind and unforgiving.

My son and my wife went thru a really bad one in Huntsville, AL on Nov 15 1989 that left the school books from his Huntsville, AL school building found later in TENNESSEE. Fifty miles away.

Give me a hurricane any day anywhere, rather than a tornado on the ground. They are unbleieveably mean. And unlike hurricane warnings which come days in advance, an EF4 sometimes gives you just seconds to know your life is maybe about to end.

 

[nitesite]

So here is my hope.

That my house never gets destroyed by a tornado.

If we escape a close call, like we have before, the house will be damaged but okay. Trees will certainly be down. Power will be out for several days.

If the house survives, my big generator will run off of the gasoline I have stored (100% no ethanol) or propane (four tanks) for several days if run intermittently.

That'll give us lights, keep the fridge and freezers going, charge up anything that is running low, provide light in the darkness, even warmth on cold days.

As long as my wife and pets are okay, we can evacuate out to somewhere that has a hotel. But the first few days we are going to put things back together.

Now.... if the house is shredded into match sticks, and we get out of the storm shelter, I hope one of our trucks is still able to get us to someplace with nice amenities.

 

[TheRude1]

MORE than enough water,canned goods, freeze dried, MREs.Rice,beans(vacuum sealed in 1/2 cup packets-sealed in food grade buckets with Gama lids with 02 absorbers laying loose in them).
I also think I'm at around 70 gallons of tap water in 2 liter bottles (stored in the carriers they come in) for flushing toilets and bathing (what my mom calls a hobo bath) . And the pets.
And we try to keep at least 1 month of wet and dry door for the dogs and cats.
Several small propane heaters along with a ventless 30K btu wall mount propane heater that I mounted on a steel mechanics cart with 2 bottles on it so it's more mobile and yes we have several electrical powered with battery backup carbon monoxide detectors throughout the house including the basement and also one on the cart opposite the heater. If I'm driving and I see a gas grill with a tank on it with the trash I will stop and grab the tank, it is amazing how many people throw away half to full tanks. I'm up to 12 full 20lb tanks.
And a good stock of over the counter meds/vitamins and all the associated medical stuff.
May not be totally ready for 1 second after but we have a good start.

 

[Rodburner]

All very interesting prospective’s and suggestions. Up here we have an occasional tornado, never any hurricane’s. We Do have earthquakes and volcanoes, neither of which I want to experience in any underground situation.lol The local gov runs their earthquake drill yearly and that is what people prepare for, supply wise. So, I guess we are lucky in that our houses may fall down,but they will still be right where we left them. The last big shake we had, I was in my second week of my new job after getting outsourced after 22 years. My helper and I had just crossed the Narrows bridge and were parked on the scale at the weigh station, talking with the trooper inside. All of a sudden the little scale house was rocking back and forth, up and down, but being on the scale,we pretty much stayed still. Very weird feeling.. As he was heading for the door, he yelled to get the hell out of there, and that’s what we did, high tailing it back over the bridge, and straight to 24/7 OT for almost a week, repairing damaged mains and services.

 

[nitesite]

I know I am sounding worrisome, and I really don't dwell on such. I am, however starting to think more about preparedness.

But having worked entire counties where nothing was left and debris piles were scattered for miles like match sticks, it does matter to me. One tornado, on April 27 2011, killed hundreds of people very near me, my neighbors.

Here is a map of the EF5 tornadoes across the country, and I am in northern Alabama. Of course, this does not show the EF4 and Ef3 storms that also tore shit apart. Click the link.

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[Ernst]

Nitesite, while medical, water and food are some of the basics don't forget about hand tools, a few sheets of plywood, roll or two of visquine and some heavy tarps to cover storm damage and prevent further issues. Plus best to shut down power, water, propane and/or natural gas if storms are approaching. If you use battery powered tools have spare batteries and periodically charge them. Keep vehicles full of fuel and spare fuel for generators and chain saws. Plus method of siphoning fuel from vehicles.

Just a few hints. Been there, done that lessons learned.

Good luck!

Regards

 

[John A.]

Keep vehicles full of fuel and spare fuel for generators and chain saws. Plus method of siphoning fuel from vehicles.

Just a few hints. Been there, done that lessons learned.

Good luck!

Regards

Sage advice.