{"id":8261,"date":"2025-03-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-30T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qa.rent.com\/where-to-go-in-your-apartment-during-a-tornado\/"},"modified":"2025-04-17T16:52:24","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T20:52:24","slug":"how-to-create-an-apartment-tornado-shelter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rent.com\/blog\/how-to-create-an-apartment-tornado-shelter\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Take Shelter in Your Apartment During a Tornado"},"content":{"rendered":"

When tornado season arrives, typically between April and July, every apartment resident needs to know where to go in a tornado.<\/h3>\n

Tornadoes<\/a> don’t always come with a warning, and the worst of them can pack wind speeds of more than 300 miles per hour \u2014 tearing a home or building from its foundation. If you don’t have a basement, the natural question is where should you go during a tornado? How can you create a tornado shelter right in your own apartment?<\/p>\n

\"knowing<\/p>\n

Where to take shelter in your apartment during a tornado<\/h2>\n

Let’s review tornado safety for apartment dwellers, from where to take shelter during a tornado to what to do in your apartment during a tornado.<\/p>\n

Where in your apartment complex should you take shelter during a tornado? Here are some basic safety tips:<\/p>\n

Take cover as close to the ground as possible<\/h3>\n

The safest place to go in a tornado is always down \u2014 down in a basement, the first floor or a covered parking garage on the ground floor. If you live on the ground floor, great! If not, get to the lowest level of your apartment building immediately.<\/p>\n

Apartment dwellers on higher floors should seek similar shelter. If there aren’t any options below ground, a neighbor’s ground-floor unit is the safest bet.<\/p>\n

Also, if you live in a building with interior stairwells, you can go to the lowest floor and under the stairs to hide in a tornado.<\/p>\n

\"Finding<\/p>\n

Pick your next best option \u2014 hide away from windows<\/h3>\n

If the storm is bearing down on your apartment complex, a tornado warning is in action \u2014 or you can’t go underground \u2014 the next safest place to seek shelter during a tornado is the furthest from the windows. This way you avoid the potential of flying debris. Choose an interior room, closet or hallway for a temporary tornado shelter.<\/p>\n

Bathrooms are often considered safer for the plumbing structures that surround them. If you’re in a high-rise building and can’t get to the ground floor, get to the hallways in the center of the building and take shelter there until the tornado passes.<\/p>\n

What to do during a tornado watch or severe weather: Protect your body<\/h2>\n

Whether you’re taking shelter in a basement or hiding in a bathroom to stay safe during a tornado, you have one thing to do: Protect your body. You can do this by covering your head and neck with your arms.<\/p>\n

Get in the tub or closet and cover up with thick blankets, sleeping bags, pillows \u2014 even a whole mattress. These can help keep you safer in the event that debris begins to fly.<\/p>\n

Bicycle helmets are also a great way to protect your head from possible injury if the roof or ceiling ends up compromised. It’s smart to keep a helmet in your apartment if you live in a tornado zone, especially if there’s no tornado shelter nearby.<\/p>\n

During and after a tornado, you’ll want to protect your lungs<\/a> from debris, so consider wearing a mask or protective face covering, too.<\/p>\n

\"seek<\/p>\n

Know the signs of a tornado<\/h2>\n

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA)<\/a>, there’s no substitute for staying alert to the sky when it comes to tornadoes. Here are some signs to look and listen for:<\/p>\n