Where is a safe place to be on the 3rd floor of an apartment complex during a tornado?

Question

My sister and I moved to Texas this past summer from Upstate NY. < A place that doesn't see too many tornadoes. The north Texas spring has already brought about a lot of tornado scares, but none have become anything. Obviously, neither of us know too much about tornado safety, and we live in a 3rd floor apartment and we are trying to come up with a 'tornado safety plan,' but we can't figure out where the best place to be is. If anyone who is familiar with tornado safety can give me any information, I would really appreciate it.

Answer 1

Head to the basement shelter is best found there.  If that is not possible the bath tub with a mattress over you is the best bet.  I live in Ar and a lot of people freak out over tornado&#039;s and I feel that if God wants me he will take me and I will not have any say in the matter.  I feel no fear over death and want to tell you that things will be OK.  Bad weather is out of our control and to me worrying about things that we cannot control is something that I do not want to waste my time over.  I hope that you are OK and all is right up there.  God bless you and your family!

Answer 2

If you&#039;re caught on the 3rd floor, a hallway at or near the center of the building would be your best bet.  Ideally, the best option is the basement or the lowest floor.  By all means, stay away from any windows!

Most importantly, get used to monitoring your local TV weather channel during tornado season.  In your neck of the woods, those folks are very good about tracking storms and issuing tornado watches and warnings.  Living in upstate New York, I&#039;m sure you&#039;re used to paying attention to developing winter watches and warnings.

I&#039;ve lived nearly my entire life in &quot;tornado alley&quot; from Lubbock, Amarillo, central Oklahoma to south central Kansas.  I&#039;ve seen many tornadoes and survived one.

Look into this website:  http://www.tornadoproject.com/

and click on their Safety page.

Answer 3

The third floor is just not safe during a tornado.  If there is a tornado there are usually warnings before it hits your area.  Heed the warnings and get to a safe place.  If you building has a basement go there.  If there are no shelters in your area, go to an interior room with no windows.  Bathrooms often fit that bill, or interior closets.

Answer 4

There was a poster earlier that had mentioned using a mattress when in the bathtub for shelter; I recommend against that. If you get trapped under the mattress because of debris, you could potentially suffocate. It&#039;s best to grab a pillow or two, something you could move from your face if the worst happens.

That said... There is no safe place on the third floor of your apartment building from a tornado. Your best bet would be to get to the ground level somehow, and take shelter there in an interior hallway; maybe even work out something with tenants on the first floor to be able to go to them in the event of an approaching tornado.

Answer 5

bathtub

Answer 6

The third floor is not a good place to be in a tornado. The higher of the ground you are the more of a target you are. You should head out to the basement if their is one. If their isn&#039;t a basement you should try to get to a room somewhere on the bottom floor with no windows (most likely a bathroom).

Answer 7

been there

The bathroom toilet (pipes) are grounded, by the time a tornado touches ground you may or may not be able to grab a mattress. There are plenty of places that dont have basements. You know that sirens will probably go off. You  know the sky will turn a bright green. You know if you cant grab a mattress get down low and hug the toilet/bathtub.

Its scarey but remember it can skip right over you and hit the neighbor. Tornadoes like flat land not hilly type areas too

Answer 8

I live in Texas...I think the news will let you know before one comes...it&#039;s not like a earthquake..they can see a tornado coming...If you do get stuck on the third floor stay away from windows of coarse and get in to a bathroom with a mattress on top of you covering your whole body. And just hold on. Keep a radio next to you with a bottle of water and some food and your cell phone. But I wouldn&#039;t really worry.