It’s the middle of the night and there’s a tornado siren blaring outside. Do you wake up the kids? First, experts say, YOU get up and turn on the TV to see what’s going on. If your home is in the area meteorologists are concerned about then yes, get the kids up and head to your safe place.
But where do you go? Lots of newer homes are homes without basements.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says:
Pick a place in the home where family members can gather if a tornado is headed your way. One basic rule is AVOID WINDOWS. An exploding window can injure or kill.The safest place in the home is the interior part of a basement. If there is no basement, go to an inside room, without windows, on the lowest floor. This could be a center hallway, bathroom, or closet.
For added protection, get under something sturdy such as a heavy table or workbench. If possible, cover your body with a blanket, sleeping bag, or mattress, and protect your head with anything available–even your hands. Avoid taking shelter where there are heavy objects, such as pianos or refrigerators, on the area of floor that is directly above you. They could fall though the floor if the tornado strikes your house.