Best place to shelter for tornado when there are attic appliances
Posted by SP1041TKE@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 6 comments
Hi, just moved into a new house. It is two stories and in the attic above there is a gas furnace for HVAC and gas water heater. The two choices to shelter during a tornado are a hallway or a closet under the stairs. All other rooms share at least one wall with exterior of house.
I read that the under stairs closet would be best because the stairs provide reinforcement but it's almost directly beneath the furnace and water heater. The hallway is the hallway next to the stairs, so it's still within falling distance of water heater and furnace.
I'm not sure if I have a better option than under closet stairs, but open to thoughts and suggestions. I know putting a mattress over my family and I won't do much if a filled up water heater crashes down on us.
Jammer521@reddit
If your handy you can build a small reinforced area in your home, something like 4x4, you would need to secure it to the sub floor or slab, or retro fit a closet
Upbeat_Status_3557@reddit
you can install something like this: https://survive-a-storm.com/residential-storm-shelters/below-ground/ . Otherwise go to the basement or a central room or closet with no windows.
WardenWolf@reddit
If you have a garage, check this out: https://atlassurvivalshelters.com/nadosafe/
Atlas is the only company I trust.
There_Are_No_Gods@reddit
You can buy a small steel tornado shelter (e.g. 3'x5' EF5 rated) for around $3k to $5k, with DIY installation (concrete drill and some bolts) being nearly free, or another few thousand in installation fees by professionals.
I did this last year and we've already huddled in it three times this year (Illinois is on a roll this year with 119 tornadoes already). The peace of mind this shelter provides to me is priceless. I am so happy to no longer be huddling with mainly hope in an interior bathroom.
My advice, take this threat seriously and prepare accordingly. It doesn't come for free, but it doesn't have to be a luxury bunker price either.
WardenWolf@reddit
Sounds like you're SOL for inside the house. If you own the property, you might consider having a concrete prefab shelter installed outside.
the_cnidarian@reddit
If the roof is ripped off of your house, it's unlikely anything will be falling straight down. Your neighbor's water heater/missile might be a bigger threat. On the other hand, if the water tank does fall down through the ceiling and onto the stairs, the tank will be broken and you guys might get very wet, and hot, but not crushed. Stairs are almost always the best option.