Where is your Safe Place During a Storm?

The National Weather Service has designated April 3 is #SafePlaceSelfie Day. At 11:11 a.m. local time, meteorologists and the general public are encouraged to post a selfie of their safe place(s) during severe storms.

Finding a Safe Place at Home

Each home is different, so someone else’s safe place may not be the same for your home. In my home, the safest place to be is in the hall bathroom.

But if your bathroom has a window, you may need to look for another possible safe place, such as a basement, hall, or closet. Remember, you want to maximize the number of walls and minimize the number of windows between you and the outside of the house, and find a place on the lowest level possible. This will help protect you in the event of a tornado or damaging straight line winds. If you have more than one area that meets this criteria, consider whether a large tree is within reach of possibly falling on that part of your home.

Be sure that others in your home also know where the safe place is.

Finding a Safe Place at Work

Not only should you know where your safe place is at home, but also at work. Work environments vary widely, so there’s no one-size-fits-all safe place. But usually the same rules apply. Go to the lowest level possible, putting as many walls between you and the outside as possible, and stay away from windows. In my case, this is the break room area near the office I work in. If you work in a place where there are a lot of people, you may want to pick out two or three safe places in the event others have crowded “your spot.”

The Instagram post below shows two photos—one of my work safe place and one of my home safe place.

Other Things to Consider

Remember that objects above you could fall. So, be mindful of that and prepare if that is a potential hazard should high winds damage or destroy your home or work place.

It’s always good to be aware of the weather in advance. Check your local forecast from reliable sources at least once a day, and if you hear or see a mention of severe weather potential in your area, check the forecast and current conditions more frequently than you usually do. This will help you to be aware of approaching severe weather and hopefully enable you to prepare in advance.

Learn more about safe places from the National Weather Service >>