In a previous blog we discussed the concept of keeping tornado shelter doors locked so the exterior hardware that could be hit by debris thus activating the latch and potentially allowing the door to be opened by the wind. The locking of these doors should be included in the shelter management plan.

But what about securing the doors from the inside?  As humans, we all deal with stress in many different ways.  Experiencing a direct hit by a tornado can be a highly stressful situation.  Some people get mad, others crawl into a corner in a fetal position, and others feel they need to get away, the flight reaction.  These are the people that can be a big problem for other shelter occupants.  In many shelters, doors can be locked from the outside but those with panic devices remain unlocked from the interior.  If someone has the flight reaction at the wrong time, they could head toward one of these doors at the exact wrong time and potentially put everyone in the shelter at risk

As humans, we are also very curious and when the preverbal “stuff” is hitting the fan, we have a tendency to want to watch, the old rubber necking when going by a vehicle accident.  There is no place for opening shelter doors and/or protective devices in a shelter to see what is going on outside.  These protective devices MUST stay closed especially when the storm is near. This is vital to the safety of everyone seeking refuge inside the designed safe room.

As a part of the management plan, people that deal with stress very well should be assigned a position at each exterior door to make sure that someone does not open the door(s) whether on purpose or by accident.

Be careful out there!

Written by Corey Schultz, AIA, LEED BD+C