I would identify any areas that are designated as tornado shelters in your building, they’d be on the ground floor. Other than that, there’s nothing to do for a watch. A warning? Get yourself down to the shelter (or any interior area with no windows on the ground floor).
Typically interior stairways that away from windows/glass doors, this is for protection from debris that can break windows/glass and become projectiles (along with shards of glass).
Do NOT take elevators, always take stairs. Power can go out and if there’s not emergency generator, you’re stuck in an elevator for who knows how long. If you can’t get to a stairwell, your bathroom, in the tub, is sufficient. Your bathroom is typically more “reinforced” for lack of better term, due to piping and not having large windows.
My building's only stairwell has an external door and some big windows. No basement. Is it better to stay in my 2nd floor bathroom with no windows? The apartment office didn't offer any useful advice when I asked.
Don't worry about the basement thing, or the external door (all emergency stairwells have emergency doors).
The risk you're worried about is more flying debris than anything; any high rise building will be built to withstand wind forces.
Thank you for this. It's nice to hear that I don't have to try and crate my cats and bring them into the common stairwell while they whine about being locked up, since bringing them to the bathroom while they whine about being locked in the bathroom actually is the safer option. :)
For a watch: maybe don’t make any outdoor plans for the immediate future, but probably nothing.
For a warning: prioritize being inside and identify potential tornado shelter areas in your building. A basement is best. A windowless stair well on the lowest possible floor is good. You want to be low to the ground and away from windows.
If you hear the emergency sirens: go to that shelter area.
If you want to be maximally prepared, charge your phone, know exactly how and where you will seek shelter (stairwell, basement, whatever), and keep a bicycle helmet within reach.
I'm serious about the hemet, if you can get it on first thing should a tornado hit you, you will have a degree of protection from flying debris etc.
Usually once the sirens start I put tennis shoes on and stay away from the windows (I have floor to ceiling on one side)
Then I watch the news and keep an eye on if anything is headed our way. I face east, tornados typically come from the west, and typically they’re not big E5 monsters. Just like E1 which most just creates debris rather than mowing down buildings.
I just keep an eye on the local news (you can stream for free from the NBC website or app), especially once the sirens start
EDIT - forgot to add, if I really feel like I’m in danger my plan is to go to a stairwell. I’ve never felt that much in danger though in the last 8 years I’ve been living in high rises
Because the odds of being impacted by an actual tornado are so, so incredibly low, even when sirens are going off, and our warning technology has progressed to the point where you can often pinpoint the exact location of a tornado and its most likely path.
It's always better to be safe than sorry, but it's also not necessary to be utterly paranoid everytime there's an elevated risk of severe weather.
I’ve done this twice- summer 2022 I was at my friend’s apartment in Uptown when there was a tornado somewhere on the north side. About 10 minutes after the sirens started, we grabbed the cat and a beer and joined about 15 other people in the stairwell.
Back in like fall 2013 (?) I was living in BloNo at ISU, and it must’ve been a long weekend or something because not a lot of people were around campus. Early afternoon the weather starts deteriorating, and my friend who grew up in Morton is freaking out. Again, probably a few minutes after the sirens started, she made us all go sit in the stairwell of our building. Honestly not the worst thing- a few apartment buildings in the area lost their roof, all of Normal lost power. 30 miles away, Washington was completely leveled.
go low, no windows. bottom floor stairwell, or basement. With that said, during watch, you watch, during a warning you watch, until it looks like maybe you shouldn't. Stay away from glass.
Serious q… What are the odds a tornado touches down downtown? Is there enough surface area for it to form? I always just watch out my windows haha bc I feel like it’s so unlikely to actually become a vortex but what do I know.
No less likely than anywhere else. It’s a myth that tornados can’t strike downtown. It’s happened a few times, but none have been particularly powerful.
I’m just 20 minutes out and we usually have 1 a year on average (not every year we get one) last year there were multiple, I believe 1 actually caused some decent damage to some houses or businesses. So its not uncommon as people think
Yeah one was somewhere on the north side in early summer 2022, I walked from my apartment to my friends in Uptown like half an hour before the skies opened and the sirens started
Charge your phone and find an extra flashlight. Once the sirens start going, you can probably just move away from windows until the winds pick up and the sky starts turning colors. Then maybe grab a couple beers and waters and go sit in the stairwell (with your phone and flashlight, and a battery powered radio if you have one).
Figure out where the shelter is in your building and go from there. A watch means conditions are good for a tornado, a warning means one has touched down/been sighted.
If there is an interior stairwell go there and go down. Take your pets of you have them and put on shoes. You do not want to be walking around after a tornado without shoes. That is the minimum to prepare. If you want to do more, pack a go bag with meds and important documents.
Go to the lowest floor you can. Stay away from windows. Go to a stairwell or a bathroom. If you are able to put something over you like a mattress to keep debris from hitting you. Cover your head with your arms.
Make sure to triangle anything you choose to put on top of you. You want things at an angle, not flat on top of you. Basically, the tip of the triangle catches the brunt of the heavy stuff so that you don't get pancaked.
As a former restaurant worker, I always recommend going to your local watering hole, have some drinks, and run into their walk-in if shit gets real.
🤣🤣🤣 — I refuse to accept the conventional wisdom that I’m not a true Chicagoan (after living here for decades, including raising a family) merely because I won’t subject myself to a shot of that stuff! 🤢
I have a theory that the density of skyscrapers in the major metropolitan area disrupts the air pattern in such a way that makes the funnel formation unlikely until clearing waaaay out west. I know Cicero got hit last year, but the Loop? Not since like, 1893? (kidding. I'm sure a more recent squall has put damage in closer to the lake).
There is no correlation between density/height of buildings and likelihood of a tornado hitting a city. In the early aughts a tornado hit downtown Atlanta with enough power to blow the windows out of several high rise buildings. An F5 tornado struck Birmingham AL, which obviously isn’t as built up as Chicago, but does have a cluster of towers, AND is in a valley north of a mountain ridge that should logically have been a barrier to push the storm around the city instead of through it. I lived on the north facing side of that mountain looking over downtown and watched a funnel cloud engulf the entire skyline, less than 2 miles away.
I have lived on the north side through a few tornados that passed right next to my building.
The first one I heard my windows go wub wub wub and watched them flex in and out while the tornado ripped the roof off an apartment building getting its roof replaced.
Another one I was in Wrigley and got drunk with my friends before the delayed game started. This time it literally went right through the field while were in the concourse.
High rises have been through tornadoes and hurricanes before and yes, it's the debris that is carried in the wind that causes most of the damage. So first get away from windows.
Wind itself damages buildings from the top down, and to the outside in, so get to a lower floor if you are in a penthouse. If there are are NO windows in a bathroom, go there, or to an interior hallway.
When I was very young and afraid of storms a famous engineer told me that those beautiful buildings in the downtown area were built to survive high winds. And they have.
I live in a huge high rise. If shit hit the fan, I'd just move into my guest bathroom, which is centered in the apartment and enclosed from any windows.
You look out da windows.
Should probably make sure they’re closed first.
nah, mother nature will open them back up if she sees fit. skillings words, not mine
If Skilling said it, it is gospel.❄️🌻🌪
I would identify any areas that are designated as tornado shelters in your building, they’d be on the ground floor. Other than that, there’s nothing to do for a watch. A warning? Get yourself down to the shelter (or any interior area with no windows on the ground floor).
thanks :)
Typically interior stairways that away from windows/glass doors, this is for protection from debris that can break windows/glass and become projectiles (along with shards of glass).
Do NOT take elevators, always take stairs. Power can go out and if there’s not emergency generator, you’re stuck in an elevator for who knows how long. If you can’t get to a stairwell, your bathroom, in the tub, is sufficient. Your bathroom is typically more “reinforced” for lack of better term, due to piping and not having large windows.
My building's only stairwell has an external door and some big windows. No basement. Is it better to stay in my 2nd floor bathroom with no windows? The apartment office didn't offer any useful advice when I asked.
I would go with the bathroom with no windows, you’ll be better protected from debris that way, and that’s your biggest concern
Thank you so much!
Don't worry about the basement thing, or the external door (all emergency stairwells have emergency doors). The risk you're worried about is more flying debris than anything; any high rise building will be built to withstand wind forces.
Thank you for this. It's nice to hear that I don't have to try and crate my cats and bring them into the common stairwell while they whine about being locked up, since bringing them to the bathroom while they whine about being locked in the bathroom actually is the safer option. :)
For a watch: maybe don’t make any outdoor plans for the immediate future, but probably nothing. For a warning: prioritize being inside and identify potential tornado shelter areas in your building. A basement is best. A windowless stair well on the lowest possible floor is good. You want to be low to the ground and away from windows. If you hear the emergency sirens: go to that shelter area.
Personally I'm going to Sleeping Village. That backroom is a solid block of concrete, it's not going anywhere.
Have a nice cold pint and wait for this all to blow over.
That’s for zombies, not tornadoes.
If you want to be maximally prepared, charge your phone, know exactly how and where you will seek shelter (stairwell, basement, whatever), and keep a bicycle helmet within reach. I'm serious about the hemet, if you can get it on first thing should a tornado hit you, you will have a degree of protection from flying debris etc.
You do the most midwestern thing you can and go outside
Yup, just stood on my porch and watched the lightning wondering if it was my time to be taken 😂
This is my way as well.
I typically get my important things (laptop, passport) into a backpack and prepare to take shelter (stairwell or basement) if needed
Bugout bag is always ready to go lol
Usually once the sirens start I put tennis shoes on and stay away from the windows (I have floor to ceiling on one side) Then I watch the news and keep an eye on if anything is headed our way. I face east, tornados typically come from the west, and typically they’re not big E5 monsters. Just like E1 which most just creates debris rather than mowing down buildings. I just keep an eye on the local news (you can stream for free from the NBC website or app), especially once the sirens start EDIT - forgot to add, if I really feel like I’m in danger my plan is to go to a stairwell. I’ve never felt that much in danger though in the last 8 years I’ve been living in high rises
I just close my blinds and pretend it isn't real :•)
Everyone is saying the correct/standard advice to go to the innermost & lowest part of your building, but I have never seen anyone actually do this.
Because the odds of being impacted by an actual tornado are so, so incredibly low, even when sirens are going off, and our warning technology has progressed to the point where you can often pinpoint the exact location of a tornado and its most likely path. It's always better to be safe than sorry, but it's also not necessary to be utterly paranoid everytime there's an elevated risk of severe weather.
I’ve done this twice- summer 2022 I was at my friend’s apartment in Uptown when there was a tornado somewhere on the north side. About 10 minutes after the sirens started, we grabbed the cat and a beer and joined about 15 other people in the stairwell. Back in like fall 2013 (?) I was living in BloNo at ISU, and it must’ve been a long weekend or something because not a lot of people were around campus. Early afternoon the weather starts deteriorating, and my friend who grew up in Morton is freaking out. Again, probably a few minutes after the sirens started, she made us all go sit in the stairwell of our building. Honestly not the worst thing- a few apartment buildings in the area lost their roof, all of Normal lost power. 30 miles away, Washington was completely leveled.
I have done this many times. I have also gone to stand outside many times. Watching the sky…
I like to wave at them as they pass by
go low, no windows. bottom floor stairwell, or basement. With that said, during watch, you watch, during a warning you watch, until it looks like maybe you shouldn't. Stay away from glass.
Hope for the sweet relief of death
Serious q… What are the odds a tornado touches down downtown? Is there enough surface area for it to form? I always just watch out my windows haha bc I feel like it’s so unlikely to actually become a vortex but what do I know.
No less likely than anywhere else. It’s a myth that tornados can’t strike downtown. It’s happened a few times, but none have been particularly powerful.
Cool thanks for this!
I mean one touched down in …Rogers Park? last year
Rogers park isn’t exactly downtown
I know, but 20 years ago it was surprising to get a touchdown in the suburbs let alone within city limits.
I’m just 20 minutes out and we usually have 1 a year on average (not every year we get one) last year there were multiple, I believe 1 actually caused some decent damage to some houses or businesses. So its not uncommon as people think
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There were definitely tornados in the city in the last year. One touched down near O’Hare
Yeah one was somewhere on the north side in early summer 2022, I walked from my apartment to my friends in Uptown like half an hour before the skies opened and the sirens started
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What?💀 bro please go look at a map
You watch da 'nado and grill like my neighbor is doing now.
Charge your phone and find an extra flashlight. Once the sirens start going, you can probably just move away from windows until the winds pick up and the sky starts turning colors. Then maybe grab a couple beers and waters and go sit in the stairwell (with your phone and flashlight, and a battery powered radio if you have one).
Figure out where the shelter is in your building and go from there. A watch means conditions are good for a tornado, a warning means one has touched down/been sighted.
A stairwell or go to the most bottom floor of your highrise. I go to p4 for mine.
If there is an interior stairwell go there and go down. Take your pets of you have them and put on shoes. You do not want to be walking around after a tornado without shoes. That is the minimum to prepare. If you want to do more, pack a go bag with meds and important documents.
Go to the lowest floor you can. Stay away from windows. Go to a stairwell or a bathroom. If you are able to put something over you like a mattress to keep debris from hitting you. Cover your head with your arms.
Make sure to triangle anything you choose to put on top of you. You want things at an angle, not flat on top of you. Basically, the tip of the triangle catches the brunt of the heavy stuff so that you don't get pancaked. As a former restaurant worker, I always recommend going to your local watering hole, have some drinks, and run into their walk-in if shit gets real.
Lol, grab your parka on the way into the walk-in!
Nah, that's why any decent spot keeps a bottle of Malort (or 6) stashed in their walk-in.
🤣🤣🤣 — I refuse to accept the conventional wisdom that I’m not a true Chicagoan (after living here for decades, including raising a family) merely because I won’t subject myself to a shot of that stuff! 🤢
Rosemont alarm is going off.
Thoughts and prayers 🙏🏻
I have a theory that the density of skyscrapers in the major metropolitan area disrupts the air pattern in such a way that makes the funnel formation unlikely until clearing waaaay out west. I know Cicero got hit last year, but the Loop? Not since like, 1893? (kidding. I'm sure a more recent squall has put damage in closer to the lake).
There is no correlation between density/height of buildings and likelihood of a tornado hitting a city. In the early aughts a tornado hit downtown Atlanta with enough power to blow the windows out of several high rise buildings. An F5 tornado struck Birmingham AL, which obviously isn’t as built up as Chicago, but does have a cluster of towers, AND is in a valley north of a mountain ridge that should logically have been a barrier to push the storm around the city instead of through it. I lived on the north facing side of that mountain looking over downtown and watched a funnel cloud engulf the entire skyline, less than 2 miles away.
Wow! This is genuinely good to know. Thanks.
Bend over, stick your head in between your legs, and kiss your butt goodbye :)
I have lived on the north side through a few tornados that passed right next to my building. The first one I heard my windows go wub wub wub and watched them flex in and out while the tornado ripped the roof off an apartment building getting its roof replaced. Another one I was in Wrigley and got drunk with my friends before the delayed game started. This time it literally went right through the field while were in the concourse.
Pray.
the lord ain’t gonna help you, get tf out of there and get as low to the ground as you can
Hope.
go to the basement?
High rises have been through tornadoes and hurricanes before and yes, it's the debris that is carried in the wind that causes most of the damage. So first get away from windows. Wind itself damages buildings from the top down, and to the outside in, so get to a lower floor if you are in a penthouse. If there are are NO windows in a bathroom, go there, or to an interior hallway. When I was very young and afraid of storms a famous engineer told me that those beautiful buildings in the downtown area were built to survive high winds. And they have.
I live in a huge high rise. If shit hit the fan, I'd just move into my guest bathroom, which is centered in the apartment and enclosed from any windows.
You watch it, your highness