Storm Cellar vs. Basement

Underground Shelters

• An underground storm shelter is often the safest place to be during a tornado or storm that produces flying debris, unless severe flooding is a concern. The NWS indicates that flying debris is more likely to injure or kill people during a tornado than the high winds that a tornado produces. In such cases, cellars sometimes make better storm shelters than basements because they're usually underground. Portions of some basements are above ground. Storm cellars need doors that fasten securely from the inside to provide the most protection.

Shelter Access

• One drawback of storm cellars is that they’re usually located outside of a home. So, users have to leave enough time to get to a cellar before a storm arrives to avoid injuries. Basements offer the advantage of being accessible from inside a home. However, the NWS warns homeowners to stay clear of basement windows and doors, because they’re vulnerable to breaking if flying debris smashes into them.

Structural Damage

• Basements are vulnerable to cave-ins during severe storms that are capable of causing structural damage. The NWS urges people who take shelter in basements to sit beneath a staircase or heavy piece of furniture. Those items can protect you if objects from a room above the basement fall through the ceiling. In any case, avoid occupying an area of a basement that has heavy objects on the floor above it. For example, someone who has a piano in a room above a basement should take shelter near the end of the basement that’s opposite the piano.

Emergency Supplies

• Storing emergency supplies in a storm cellar can be problematic, since cellars are usually outdoors where dampness may damage some supplies. Storing supplies in plastic containers can help keep them dry, but rodents may invade emergency food supplies if they’re not in containers strong enough to keep them out. Another option is to keep some emergency supplies packed in containers inside your home that you can carry to a cellar when you know a severe storm is coming.