Tornado Shelters, Southeast Tornadoes

Tornado shelters like this one seen in the photo, are common over the Plains states, and I shot this photograph in southern Oklahoma. If there was more of these over the Southeast states, it might help to save more lives each year. I know you won’t be finding these in Florida, especially South Florida, where the sea level is only about 3-4 feet in some locations, but in the Southeast and Mississippi Valley, they could use more of them. I don’t hear or see many underground storm shelters in the Southeast and Mississippi Valley, like I do in the southern and central Plains. The South has it’s good share of strong to violent tornadoes each years and has it’s own little “Tornado Alley” during February-April.

Tornadoes that strike east of the Mississippi River, are likely to hit in more populated area’s compared to the open Plains states. If you look at the tornado paths of last weeks F-3’s tornadoes in Enterprise, Alabama and Americus, Georgia, and all the surrounding area’s, you’ll notice how the tracks (Enterprise Tornado Track Map) travel through several populated area’s. Many of these storms were close together, along with all the small towns scattered closer together as well. Some of these Tornadic Supercells hit several towns before weakening as they traveled east-northeastward. With the more strong to violent tornadoes, it’s best to be under ground level, or not in the direct path at all to survive.

In Florida, where in 2004 and 2005, hurricane after hurricane slammed into the state, many homes had severe damage or were destroyed. Some people today that are building new homes, are including a “safe room” within their home for hurricanes. A steel and concrete inner room for protection. If your close to the ocean it won’t do you any good from storm surge, but wind wise, it’s a safe place to be during the worst of the storm.

Storm and tornado shelters are made to save lives, and I believe there should be more of them, especially in the Mississippi Valley and Southeast area’s.

Related Graphics: Enterprise, Alabama and Georgia tornadoes tracking map of paths. (NWS Image)