03/16/2026
There is some concerning weather headed our way today. Here is some good information to help prepare. Stay safe!
PUBLIC SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT
Safety Steps for a tornado when you live on the 2nd or 3rd floor of an apartment building
If you’re on the 2nd or 3rd floor of an apartment during a tornado, strong wind, or hail, the main goal is to get as low and as protected as possible inside the building. Here’s the safest way to handle it:
1. Get to the lowest level you can
If you have time, go to the first floor.
A hallway, stairwell, or interior room on the first floor is much safer than the top floor.
Avoid elevators—use the stairs.
2. Stay in an interior area
If you can’t get downstairs:
Go to a bathroom, closet, or hallway in the center of the apartment.
Stay away from windows, sliding doors, and outside walls.
3. Cover and protect your head
Use a mattress, thick blankets, pillows, or couch cushions.
If possible, get under a sturdy table or inside the bathtub.
Helmets (bike or sports) actually help protect your head if you have one.
4. Close doors and stay low
Sit or kneel against a wall with no windows.
Cover your head and neck with your arms.
5. Watch for flying glass
Hail and tornado winds can shatter windows on upper floors quickly.
That’s why the center of the apartment is safest.
6. Have a quick emergency kit nearby
Even a small one helps:
Phone + charger
Flashlight
Shoes
Water
Weather alerts on your phone
One important tip people forget
If the storm is already hitting and you don’t have time to go downstairs, it’s usually safer to stay inside your unit in an interior room than to run outside in tornado winds.
✅ Quick rule to remember:
Lowest floor + interior room + cover your head.
Www.VirginiaAnimalControl.Com
