MACON, Ga. — Tornadoes are all too familiar across the peach state. According to the National Weather Service, over 1300 tornadoes touched down across the United States just last year.
Georgia experienced 56 of those tornadoes alone. It is vital to have a plan when the sirens go off.
Meteorologist Jordan West went out to a two-story home, a mobile home, and a campus dorm to determine whether their safe spots were the best spots.
The first stop is in Macon-Bibb County, where the Union family takes severe weather seriously.
"I feel like our house is strong. It’s brick, it’s well made, it’s well constructed. It was built in 1984. I’d like to think she has good bones," Melanie Union said.
These are all great attributes for a home, but no matter how strong a home can be, not every spot is safe.
Melanie, her husband Brian, and daughter Anastasia have a plan when the sirens sound.
With a large family, Jordan asked Anastasia if she knew where the safest spot in the house would be if a tornado were to get too close for comfort.
“Go downstairs to the bathroom where there are no windows and turn the lights on," she said.
Their safe spot checked out!
They were on the lowest floor of their home, with as many walls as possible between them and the outside.
Of course, not every home offers the same protection.
Our next stop was a mobile home community, where we ran into Billie Collie.
Collie understands the seriousness of tornadoes.
“When those tornadoes were hitting, I was sitting back there, and I said 'wow.' The winds get to blowing the first thing you think about is their home," he said.
Collie moved in 20 years ago. He says it's hard to leave during storms, but safety comes first.
“I have family and friends that have houses, but I hate to run from it and I hope it doesn’t happen just hope and pray," he said.
The bottom line: mobile and manufactured homes are not safe during a tornado.
It is important to have a sturdier shelter before a severe weather event.
Our last stop is at Mercer University. With more than 8000 students, they must have a plan to keep the crowd safe.
There are about 1800 students that live on Macon’s undergraduate campus.
Erika Houser, a Mercer senior, and Resident Assistant understands that communication is key.
“When we have an actual tornado warning come out, they not only get an email, but they will also get a text alert. For example, if it’s in one of the freshman halls that’s typically one of the main corridor hallways," she said.
Overall, it’s essential to quickly inform students and whether it’s a hallway or a basement, Mercer has several great safe spots across the campus.
If you aren’t quite sure where to go when a tornado, you can find more information here.