JDgreen227
Super Member
Last night there were a few tornado warnings in mid-Michigan, but we only had watches posted for our area. I would say we are reasonably well prepared for shelter from a tornado should one ever hit this area. Back in late 1988, after I first moved here, there was a very strong windstorm (85 mph plus winds) here that partly demolished my big barn and destroyed a lot of trees, and I wasn't prepared at all when the power went out for several days. Also, the basement of the house here wasn't very strong (cheapo blocks and not reinforced).
When my wifes brother and I built onto the house back in 2002, we decided to integrate a shelter area into the construction. The main entry to the addition leads into a hallway that also goes straight down a 4 foot wide stairway. The sides of the stairway framing are 2X6's set on 12 inch centers, backed by 3/4 inch plywood sheathing covered with drywall. The foundation wall (blocks) three feet away from the understair shelter area is fully reinforced with steel reinforcing rod in every cavity and filled with concrete. We added additional truss joist bracing overhead. There are no windows nearby, and the electrical, water, and gas shutoffs are a few feet away from the understair area.
Now, underneath the stairs we have a near 4 foot wide, 9 foot deep area that is standing height for half the depth. Inside there I keep a good supply of flashlights and extra batteries, wool blankets, a pair of crowbars, 2 cases of drinking water, a carrier for every cat we have (4), a battery powered weather radio, and battery powered cell phone chargers. The interior is lit with both AC and battery powered lighting, and the 3 foot wide, solid core door opens inward. Almost forgot...I have a 2A-40BC extinguisher in there too.
Seemed like a lot of work to do all these preparations, but when that windstorm hit a long time ago, I was 500 feet away from the house, and the wind blew me down numerous times as I tried to get to shelter. Never going to forget that helpless feeling !!
So, are you and your family ready in case of a tornado? At the very least, I hope you have a plan in place.
When my wifes brother and I built onto the house back in 2002, we decided to integrate a shelter area into the construction. The main entry to the addition leads into a hallway that also goes straight down a 4 foot wide stairway. The sides of the stairway framing are 2X6's set on 12 inch centers, backed by 3/4 inch plywood sheathing covered with drywall. The foundation wall (blocks) three feet away from the understair shelter area is fully reinforced with steel reinforcing rod in every cavity and filled with concrete. We added additional truss joist bracing overhead. There are no windows nearby, and the electrical, water, and gas shutoffs are a few feet away from the understair area.
Now, underneath the stairs we have a near 4 foot wide, 9 foot deep area that is standing height for half the depth. Inside there I keep a good supply of flashlights and extra batteries, wool blankets, a pair of crowbars, 2 cases of drinking water, a carrier for every cat we have (4), a battery powered weather radio, and battery powered cell phone chargers. The interior is lit with both AC and battery powered lighting, and the 3 foot wide, solid core door opens inward. Almost forgot...I have a 2A-40BC extinguisher in there too.
Seemed like a lot of work to do all these preparations, but when that windstorm hit a long time ago, I was 500 feet away from the house, and the wind blew me down numerous times as I tried to get to shelter. Never going to forget that helpless feeling !!
So, are you and your family ready in case of a tornado? At the very least, I hope you have a plan in place.