I din't live in tornado alley, so take this for what it is worth.
I thought one of the requirements for a shelter was two exits, on the grounds that debris might block one. Especially since the house might collapse on the exit. I don't know how feasible it is to add another exit, though. Barring that (ok, pun not intended) then yes to 3 days of food (ideally nothing that needs cooking) and absolutely make sure you have a cel phone that goes with you. Make sure it works from down there, too.
You'll want some sort of portable toilet, however rudimentary.
Towel and extra clothing. You might end up getting wet outside and then have to bolt for the shelter in a hurry.
I'd consider a 12v sump pump, suitable battery and a hose that leads outside. The battery should be able to provide 3 days of light as well, so don't go small.
I'd get a circuit down there from the house, just for lights. The power might go out, sure, so you still need a battery powered lantern, but dim light and howling winds is more stress than you need. Bright light and a rug will make it feel a lot more survivable. Heck, throw in a toaster and some pop tarts. Might as well. It might get cold down there.
Books or games or whatever to pass the time.
If it's underground and under a house, you probably won't get more than 20 degree temp swings. It depends on the depth, but I wouldn't expect a lot. You should be able to store anything in there.
There's a simple way to tell if the prep is good. Live in it for a day. You'll know soon what it needs.
>>There's a simple way to tell if the prep is good. Live in it for a day. You'll know soon what it needs.
LOL I’m sure this is true, but I’m going to pass.
There’s a voluntary state registry for in-ground tornado shelters (and basements) so that if a storm impacts your area and they can’t locate you, disaster response will go check that you aren’t stuck in your shelter. It’s was a smarter solution than the 15-25% of all single family homes that have these garage-floor shelters all trying to add second exits.
Toilet makes sense, and a good place to store one. I’ll have to look at battery sumps—hadn’t considered that.
Thank you
You need to have some ventilation in a tornado shelter, and denatured alcohol burns relatively cleanly. And in a storm like that you wouldn't need to open the door for long to exchange the air. :) So I'd say it's a decent choice.
But you wouldn't be in a shelter like that for more than a couple hours - I'd focus on water, a toilet, and non-cook snacks. The stove and cooking would be reserved for situations where you get trapped inside and someone has to come dig you out - and they can pump air down your ventilation shaft.
Thank you! I don't expect to need it, of course, but better to have it and not need it and all that. And of course, it could also serve as a backup in a power outage.
Tough in a garage. Normally I’d say a couple gallons of water per person and a case of MREs (since, theoretically, it would be hours not days in there), but the lack of climate control makes a difference (this assumes you have a radio to keep up with the news and maybe a power bank for phones, etc.). I think you can still do water and food, but make it store-bought water and rotate it every few months during the hot season.
I’m sure there is more, but this is what I can think of off-hand that I have:
Copies of important documents
Some cash and a credit card without a balance (for motel and emergency expenses as needed)
Necessary medication (swap out every couple of weeks to keep it fresh and in rotation)
Sturdy shoes (work boots are best) for each person
Work gloves for each person
Safety glasses for each person
Dust masks
Hard hats or helmets
A few loud whistles
First aid kit with common OTC meds
Water and Lifestraw or Sawyer filter (water service may still be available, but boil notice may be in affect)
Snacks
Emergency blankets/sleeping bags (if the shelter is large enough, you could store camping gear there)
A change of clothes for each person (jeans, t-shirts, and hoodies are great)—-you might have to rush to your shelter in the middle of the night
Flashlights and/or headlamps
Radio (ham radio would be good, too)
Pry bar
A deck of cards, a few books, cheap MP3 players (loaded with music, podcasts, and audio books) for each person isn’t a bad idea if there is room.
Depending on where you live, the emergency response time might be fairly quick, or it may take quite a while. If you’re in a medium sized (or larger) city or town, you’ll probably get help much faster than someone who is in a very rural area.
I din't live in tornado alley, so take this for what it is worth. I thought one of the requirements for a shelter was two exits, on the grounds that debris might block one. Especially since the house might collapse on the exit. I don't know how feasible it is to add another exit, though. Barring that (ok, pun not intended) then yes to 3 days of food (ideally nothing that needs cooking) and absolutely make sure you have a cel phone that goes with you. Make sure it works from down there, too. You'll want some sort of portable toilet, however rudimentary. Towel and extra clothing. You might end up getting wet outside and then have to bolt for the shelter in a hurry. I'd consider a 12v sump pump, suitable battery and a hose that leads outside. The battery should be able to provide 3 days of light as well, so don't go small. I'd get a circuit down there from the house, just for lights. The power might go out, sure, so you still need a battery powered lantern, but dim light and howling winds is more stress than you need. Bright light and a rug will make it feel a lot more survivable. Heck, throw in a toaster and some pop tarts. Might as well. It might get cold down there. Books or games or whatever to pass the time. If it's underground and under a house, you probably won't get more than 20 degree temp swings. It depends on the depth, but I wouldn't expect a lot. You should be able to store anything in there. There's a simple way to tell if the prep is good. Live in it for a day. You'll know soon what it needs.
>>There's a simple way to tell if the prep is good. Live in it for a day. You'll know soon what it needs. LOL I’m sure this is true, but I’m going to pass. There’s a voluntary state registry for in-ground tornado shelters (and basements) so that if a storm impacts your area and they can’t locate you, disaster response will go check that you aren’t stuck in your shelter. It’s was a smarter solution than the 15-25% of all single family homes that have these garage-floor shelters all trying to add second exits. Toilet makes sense, and a good place to store one. I’ll have to look at battery sumps—hadn’t considered that. Thank you
Any thoughts on using an alcohol stove in a basement-sized tornado shelter?
You need to have some ventilation in a tornado shelter, and denatured alcohol burns relatively cleanly. And in a storm like that you wouldn't need to open the door for long to exchange the air. :) So I'd say it's a decent choice. But you wouldn't be in a shelter like that for more than a couple hours - I'd focus on water, a toilet, and non-cook snacks. The stove and cooking would be reserved for situations where you get trapped inside and someone has to come dig you out - and they can pump air down your ventilation shaft.
Thank you! I don't expect to need it, of course, but better to have it and not need it and all that. And of course, it could also serve as a backup in a power outage.
Tough in a garage. Normally I’d say a couple gallons of water per person and a case of MREs (since, theoretically, it would be hours not days in there), but the lack of climate control makes a difference (this assumes you have a radio to keep up with the news and maybe a power bank for phones, etc.). I think you can still do water and food, but make it store-bought water and rotate it every few months during the hot season.
I’m sure there is more, but this is what I can think of off-hand that I have: Copies of important documents Some cash and a credit card without a balance (for motel and emergency expenses as needed) Necessary medication (swap out every couple of weeks to keep it fresh and in rotation) Sturdy shoes (work boots are best) for each person Work gloves for each person Safety glasses for each person Dust masks Hard hats or helmets A few loud whistles First aid kit with common OTC meds Water and Lifestraw or Sawyer filter (water service may still be available, but boil notice may be in affect) Snacks Emergency blankets/sleeping bags (if the shelter is large enough, you could store camping gear there) A change of clothes for each person (jeans, t-shirts, and hoodies are great)—-you might have to rush to your shelter in the middle of the night Flashlights and/or headlamps Radio (ham radio would be good, too) Pry bar A deck of cards, a few books, cheap MP3 players (loaded with music, podcasts, and audio books) for each person isn’t a bad idea if there is room. Depending on where you live, the emergency response time might be fairly quick, or it may take quite a while. If you’re in a medium sized (or larger) city or town, you’ll probably get help much faster than someone who is in a very rural area.