Please, to anyone who lives in tornado country, keep this thread going with your prep ideas. Where I live, tornadoes happen, though not as frequently as Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma, and not enought to warrent sirens. As I write this, the storm that hit Iowa yesterday is headed our way.

I too wondered how many rely on basements, or storm cellars, and what kind? When you say storm cellar, do you mean a 'la "Wizard of Oz?" Like - run outside, pull open the door, and hunker down with the cole crops and home-canned goods? I have seen emergency hatches that operate somewhat like a boat hatch - inside the house, open the hatch in your floor, jump down, and secure the hatch after you. Seems a good system.

I live in a split-level, so no basement, but the bottom floor is 1/2 below grade, with poured cement walls. The bathroom there, with no windows, seems my best bet.