need advise on taking shelter in my building from a tornado

[Jeremy Miller]

I live in central new york state, in the city of cortland. I live in a 10 floor senior citizen/disabled persons building. I have a studio apartment on the 6th floor with only one window facing north. I am curious, in the event of a tornado warning or me visually spotting a tornado approaching. Would it be feasible to take shelter in my small bathroom in the middle of my apartment?. Since I cant do stairs and fall alot. Now we have 12 apartments on each floor which make a square shape wraping around the two elevators/two stair cases that run through the center of the structure. I figure that bathroom is an interior room, no windows.
I know it's best to be on the lowest floor as possible, just getting there would be tough for me. Now, I when severe weather is occuring I usually am tracking it on weathertap, NWR and TWC or other local tv stations.
So I know in long advanced notice that storms are on thier way, so its not that I would be caught off gaurd.
I just don't see it feasible to sit downstairs waiting for storms to pass. Even if I could get to our basement, what about the risk of collapse? (unlikely, but given a strong enough tornado with certain damage there could be failure). My building is made of brick and was built in 1966...

Does anyone have any advise?.

Also, my management for this building and the other senior highrise around the corner, I don't think the
management send's tenants safety tips on severe weather. I've asked them about it and I get the run around. The elderly in this building are under the empression that we have a generator to power the hallway lights and one elevator. However, we do not have those battery powered hallway emergency lights, nor is there lights in the stairwells for backup. I am going to go to the main office downstairs tomorrow and ask
the director about what is in place for backup power sources for lightning in the hallways/stairs and for the elevators.

Please let me know what you folks think

Jeremy

 

[Karen Politte]

Hi Jeremy,

Your situation is definitely awkward. The most sensible thing to do in the event of a tornado warning for your location - if you cannot get downstairs to a lower level or basement - would be to go to the most interior room in your apartment. You want to put as many walls between you and the tornado as possible. If that is your bathroom - then go there. If it is an interior walk-in closet - then go there.

If it is the bathroom - and you can get in the bathtub - some may suggest you do this also, and cover yourself with a mattress. I don't really know how much added protection (if any) this offers you, however.

It sounds like you've got the right idea for your particular situation. I must admit, though- you are ALREADY doing the most important thing you could to protect yourself - and that's monitoring the weather situation on radar and weather radio. Most deaths and/or fatalities occur when the people involved are not aware of the developing severe weather situation and had no advance warning or chance to take protective action.

Karen