[LuvtheVillages]

Originally Posted by Davelinda91

So if a hurricane is forecasted to come up through central Florida and possibly pass through the TV there are no open shelters? I find That hard to believe with all the rec centers and safe places in the area.

First of all, a hurricane is very different from a tornado, which is the topic of this thread. With a tornado, you won't have time to travel to a shelter. Find the safest place in your home.

For a hurricane: A dozen or so years ago the building codes were greatly increased. If you have a newer home, it will be the safest place for you to stay. During Irma, the only homes to suffer damage were in the historic side. For an example of the enhanced building code, go look at your garage door. See all the steel reinforcement? That garage door will not blow away. Same with the rest of your home.

If a hurricane comes, and if you have an older home, Wildwood has an emergency shelter at the Community Center on Powell Road. You have to take your own blankets, pillows, food, meds, etc. You will be crowded in with lots of Wildwood residents. And you will have to park your car in the open field.

[Nucky]

Any concern about COVID?

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Davelinda91

So if a hurricane is forecasted to come up through central Florida and possibly pass through the TV there are no open shelters? I find That hard to believe with all the rec centers and safe places in the area.

Don't take anyone's word for it on here if you find it hard to believe.
Call here;
Customer Service Center
Phone: 352-753-4508 • Fax: 352-751-3936
Email Customer Service
Carrie Duckett: Carrie.Duckett@districtgov.org

[LI SNOWBIRD]

I would suggest that you keep glo-sticks/glow-sticks in your hunker down area. The event may happen at night and who knows if there will be electricity at that time. I also have glo-sticks/glow-sticks in our cars for obvious reasons. They are cheap, easily obtainable and
have no expiration date.

[vintageogauge]

Originally Posted by twoplanekid

The issue with bathrooms might be mirrors shattering and then pieces of glass being tossed around to cut people. I wanted a room where it would be comfortable to stay for a while during a tornado watch and or a hurricane. As I stated in 2015, it would be helpful to have someone provide better information on where to shelter in TV houses that many times have the same basic floor plan.

During the 07 tornado a gentleman on Golden Ridge sustained serious injuries from the mirror in his bathroom where he was taking shelter.

[Curtisbwp]

Originally Posted by sswitenki

We are pretty new and this is first time I even thought about it. We have a tornado warning and live in smaller 2bd home in Lady Lake. Unlike MidWest, we don’t have basement to run for shelter. We don’t have interior rooms. People just head to closet ? Are rec centers tornado shelters?? advise??

When i grew up in Boston there were "civil Defence" shelters every where. Not now. Today shelters and bunkers are only for the Very rich..Russia has bumkers to protect millions and millions of citizens.

[Chatbrat]

If you are really worried about a tornado, build a safe room in your garage, precast concrete & steel and anchored to the garage floor- hope you're a wake and able to get in it before the storm hits-

we will just get into a closet off the master bedroom- if we can get out of bed --when the weather alert goes off

[twoplanekid]

Originally Posted by LuvtheVillages

First of all, a hurricane is very different from a tornado, which is the topic of this thread. With a tornado, you won't have time to travel to a shelter. Find the safest place in your home.

For a hurricane: A dozen or so years ago the building codes were greatly increased. If you have a newer home, it will be the safest place for you to stay. During Irma, the only homes to suffer damage were in the historic side. For an example of the enhanced building code, go look at your garage door. See all the steel reinforcement? That garage door will not blow away. Same with the rest of your home.

If a hurricane comes, and if you have an older home, Wildwood has an emergency shelter at the Community Center on Powell Road. You have to take your own blankets, pillows, food, meds, etc. You will be crowded in with lots of Wildwood residents. And you will have to park your car in the open field.

Agree, however hurricanes can and do spawn tornadoes. So, I stay in the same room in the house prepared for both.

[davephan]

Originally Posted by Chatbrat

If you are really worried about a tornado, build a safe room in your garage, precast concrete & steel and anchored to the garage floor- hope you're a wake and able to get in it before the storm hits-

we will just get into a closet off the master bedroom- if we can get out of bed --when the weather alert goes off

I've thought about the idea of building a safe room after we move from the north where we have a basement, to Florida, where we won't have a basement. You need to have the space in your home to build a safe room, about the size of a walk in closet. I've heard that the safe rooms cost about $10K to $15K, which isn't much compared to the value of saving your life, if it came down to that!

I'm not sure why glow sticks are even mentioned. Many batteries have a shelf life of about 10 years. You could have several LED lanterns and many extra batteries. The time to buy those materials is long before the hurricane or storms hit, not wait until the last possible minute, as is depicted on the TV news stories where the stores are packed with customers in a mad craze to buy things shortly before every hurricane.

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[yankygrl]

The Community Center in Wildwood on 301 is a SPECIAL NEEDS SHELTER and you need to be pre-cleared to go there in an emergency. Yes you have to bring all supplies, you get a cot. I know this as I am a volunteer for MRC who cover that shelter if it were to open.

[yankygrl]

The rec. centers are not designated shelters nor are the schools. This was decided after Irma and the other hurricanes came through the area in the last 2 seasons.

[E Cascade]

We used to live in Illinois and were told if there was a warning to open doors and windows and get into a shelter (basement, etc). We were told to open all doors/windows so the vacuum caused would let the air pressure change and your house would not be destroyed. has anyone else ever heard of that?

[gadaboutgal]

"when this theory was actually put to the test Researchers found it didn't hold up. Leaving windows open actually caused the force of the tornado to push up on the roof of the house, while the gusts of the twister lifted the roof. Open windows and doors, in other words, resulted in an airborne roof"
Should You Open Your Windows During a Tornado? | HowStuffWorks

[Arl]

I am here almost 17 years only one tornado came trough. If you have a weather radio have the fire department set it up for you because when it says Sumter County it probably isn’t The Villages. It will usually tell you The Villages not Sumter County. Hope this helps you.

[OhioBuckeye]

Originally Posted by Stuart Zaikov

Bathroom has windows so thinking not so safe.

I have 3 bathrooms & only one has glass blocks. Haven’t you heard that bathtubs are the best place in your homes to be safe at. The only other place to be is a closet! Where would you suggest to go to in your home?