Why Mobile Houses Need Tornado Shelters as a’Must-Have’

When tornadoes are on the horizon, mobile homes aren't the best place to hide. Prior to tornadoes hitting, NOAA and FEMA urge that those who live in mobile or prefabricated homes leave their houses and seek out a more secure location. All death related to tornadoes occur in residences, with mobile homes accounting for 54% of those deaths on average. It's 15 to 20 times more likely that you'll be killed in a mobile home than in a fixed-site residence.

Four individuals died in mobile homes as storms slammed the area on January 10th and 11th, resulting in tornadoes and severe winds. For the most part, mobile homes and manufactured homes are uninhabitable in an EF-1 tornado or severe thunderstorm. However skillfully a mobile or manufactured home is constructed, flaws in the anchor system account for the vast majority of fatalities. A strong and well-built house can also get damaged and destroyed in the air of you do not have a tornado shelter.

If you or a member of your family lives in manufactured home, have a plan to get to a higher ground before a storm hits. Safer structures include designated tornado shelters, and designated community building, reinforced concrete buildings, like churches, arenas, and industrial buildings.

Mobile home owners should pay attention to weather forecasts from the National Weather Service and reevaluate their plans. If you live in a manufactured or mobile home, you should be aware of your evacuation route and how long it will take to reach a safer location. When tornadoes are expected the day before, arrange with friends and family to spend time at home during the arrival of storms or choose a community location where you can go for shelter when the storms arrive. When a Tornado Warning is issued, it is imperative that you prepare to flee to a safe location. When a Tornado Warning is issued, it may be too risky to follow your usual evacuation route. As a result, it's advisable to leave your mobile home before the warning is issued and the storm hits.

For these residents, we recommend the following three-step process:

Step 1 (today): Keep an eye on the weather reports from the National Weather Service and devise a tornado sheltering strategy or review your present one. Know how long it takes to get to a safer spot from your house and how to get there quickly.

Step 2 (the day before severe weather): When tornadoes are forecast, organize In the event of severe weather, the third step is to leave your home and go to a safe location. This step should be taken when a Tornado Watch is issued. When a Tornado Warning is issued, it may be too risky to follow your usual evacuation route. As a result, it's advisable to leave your mobile home before the warning is issued and the storm hits.With family and friends to spend time at home when the storms approach or choose a community location to go to.

To learn more about tornado safety for people in mobile and manufactured homes, watch this short video from the NWS.

Come to EF5 Tornado Shelters in Edmond, OK to make sure your home is safe.