There averages 1-2 tornados/year on Long Island - I was in an F0 in 1969 not far from where the storm was last night (it went just south of me BTW)

The problem with Underground where Jessup lives is the same problem with underground in New Orleans - H2O - He lives on the south shore - and I believe on one of the barrier islands to Long Island - dig, and you have water

First, congratulations on coming out okay.

Second, I used to build and was in on design improvements to an above ground storm shelter originally designed by Texas Tech. Two of these shelters withstood the May 1999 storm in Oklahoma that caused the Fujita scale to be rewritten.

I am not anywhere near your area, but if you have questions please PM me and I will try to help.

FWIW, I have one in my own home. My only regret is I did not make it bigger.

I'd like to know more about that 1999 tornado... The F Scale used to go up to F12 back in the 70's.

Keep in mind, you can be a "safe" distance from a tornado, but the rotating winds around it are still easily strong enough to kill you with debris. There are some unreal videos on youtube showing cars in a parking lot getting blasted up into the air with absolutely NO warning.

Glad you made it through ok. Take care.

You mean the 1969 tornado that I survived? No warings, F0 (baby) and passed my parents house by - missed by about 30 ft (estimated funnel diameter was under 10 ft) - took down a BIG Maple in front of my house, took the roof off a couple of houses acrodd the street, ripped up a BUNCH of 200-300 year old trees in the park a block away, and ended - was on the ground for oh, 14-1/2 mile, total. Dark, windy, rainy and LOUD

A lot of people got lucky, as most of the time it was on the ground was in the park

That's it - total memories of a 6 year old. Only reason I can remember the year is that my parents 2-3 week old car was ALMOST destroyed - a HUGE branch (about 12") came off the OTHER maple, and was falling for the car - it got hung up by the crotch of the tree, and stopped oh, 6" short of the roof of the car

Never heard of that. I had only heard of it going up to F5.

After the storm there was talk of adding F6, but the powers that be just call it the enhanced scale. EF0 thru EF5.

Look at it this way:

When a tornado pulls an interstate highway up (including the road base), it is BAD NEWS!

I am sure you can find more info from NOAA/NWS and The University of Oklahoma.

That happened in the 1997 Jarrell, TX F5 also. That sucker dug stuff out of the ground (including roads!) over a 7 mile by 1/2 mile area. An in-ground shelter had better have a steel door and strong hinges & lock to stay intact through that monster.

Fortunately they're rare, and tornadoes don't have the water problem that is the bad news in a hurricane.